Bombe Mathilde

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5-liter (6-cup) metal bombe mould or smooth stainless-steel bowl
• •Ice-cream machine with at least 1-liter capacity
• •Instant-read or sugar thermometer
• •Electric stand mixer or hand mixer
• •Fine-mesh sieve and blender
• •Flexible spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Infuse the coffee

   Combine the milk, cream, and crushed coffee beans in a saucepan. Heat gently until small bubbles gather at the edge, without letting the dairy boil, then cover and leave it for 20 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing lightly but not grinding the beans through; the infusion should taste deeper than drinking coffee because freezing will quiet it.

   Medium-roast beans give bitterness, perfume, and enough color without turning the shell burnt or muddy. An oily, very dark roast overwhelms the apricot.
2. 2

   Cook the coffee custard

   Whisk the five yolks with the coffee-ice sugar and salt until smooth. Pour in the warm coffee infusion gradually while whisking, then return everything to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and reaching into every corner, until the crème anglaise is nappé, meaning it coats the back of the spoon, at about 82°C or 180°F. If you see tiny curds, pull it off the heat immediately, strain it into a cold bowl, and blend briefly over an ice bath. Ça se rattrape unless it has become scrambled. Chill the custard thoroughly, at least 2 hours.

3. 3

   Concentrate the apricots

   Put the apricots, their sugar, lemon juice, and water in a saucepan. Cover and cook gently until the fruit collapses, then uncover and stir until the juices reduce to a thick compote. Blend smooth and pass it through a sieve. Measure 1¼ cups (300 ml / 300 g), reducing it a little longer if you have more; excess water makes an icy center. Stir in exactly two drops of bitter-almond extract, then chill the purée completely. Do not replace the extract with raw or bitter apricot kernels, whose cyanide content cannot be judged safely in a home kitchen.

4. 4

   Clothe the mould

   Churn the cold coffee custard until it holds like soft ice cream. Reserve about ¾ cup (180 ml) in a shallow covered container for the lid. Pack the rest against the bottom and sides of a pre-chilled 1.5-liter metal bombe mould, forming an even shell about 1.5 cm thick. This is chemiser le moule, to clothe the mould. Apply the coating geometry preserved in Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916), rotating the mould as you spread so no bare metal remains. Freeze the shell and reserved coffee ice for 45 to 60 minutes. If light shows through a thin spot, patch it with softened coffee ice and refreeze; ça se rattrape.

5. 5

   Whip the pâte à bombe

   Put the three pasteurized yolks in the mixer bowl and begin whisking at medium speed. Heat the pâte à bombe sugar and water in a small saucepan without stirring until the syrup reaches 118°C or 244°F. If crystals form, lower the heat and let them dissolve fully before continuing; grainy syrup must never meet the yolks. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup in a narrow stream down the inside of the bowl, avoiding the whisk. Increase the speed and whip until the mixture is very thick, pale, and cool enough that the bowl no longer feels warm, about 7 minutes.

6. 6

   Fold the apricot center

   Fold the cold apricot purée into the pâte à bombe in three additions. In a separate cold bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks, reserving one spoonful unwhipped, then fold it gently into the apricot mixture. The finished filling should be airy but hold a broad ribbon. If it loosens because either component was too warm, set the bowl over ice and fold slowly until it regains body. If the cream begins to look grainy, fold in the reserved liquid cream and stop whisking.

7. 7

   Fill and seal

   Make certain the coffee shell is hard before filling it. Spoon in the apricot pâte à bombe, pressing gently into the curve without crushing out its air, and leave about 1 cm clear at the rim. Let the reserved coffee ice soften just enough to spread, then use it to cap the filling completely and smooth the base flush with the mould. Cover tightly and freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

8. 8

   Unmould and serve

   Chill the serving platter. Dip the mould in warm water for 3 seconds, dry it, invert it onto the platter, and lift straight upward. If it holds, repeat with a 1-second dip rather than forcing it. Return the unmoulded bombe to the freezer for 15 minutes so its surface settles, then rest it at room temperature for 5 minutes before cutting with a warmed, dry knife. The slice should reveal a clean coffee arc around a pale apricot center. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Out of apricot season, use unsweetened frozen halves picked ripe. A fragrant preserved fruit is better than a hard fresh apricot that tastes only of hope.
• •Do not use raw apricot kernels, bitter-kernel supplements, or homemade stone infusions. Two drops of commercial culinary bitter-almond extract give the intended noyau perfume predictably and safely.
• •Freeze the ice-cream machine bowl for the full period specified by its maker. A half-frozen bowl produces loose coffee ice, and loose ice slides down the mould before it can form an even shell.
• •A proper metal bombe mould releases fastest, but a 1.5-liter stainless mixing bowl works honestly. Choose one with a smooth interior and a rounded base, not a deep lip that can trap the frozen dessert.
• •Serve Bombe Mathilde without stray berries, flowers, or piped cream. Its cut face is the decoration. Black coffee or a small glass of Sauternes is quite enough beside it.

Advance Preparation

• •The coffee custard and apricot purée may be cooked and chilled up to 2 days before assembly. Keep each covered closely in the cold.
• •Assemble and freeze the bombe at least 6 hours before serving. Overnight gives the cleanest unmoulding and slicing.
• •The finished bombe keeps for 3 days, tightly covered in its mould. Longer storage dulls the apricot and encourages ice crystals on the cut surface.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 215g)