Bombe Orientale

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •6-cup (1.5 L) metal bombe mould or smooth stainless-steel bowl
• •Countertop ice-cream machine
• •Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• •Small sugar saucepan
• •Sugar thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Flexible spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the mould

   Place a 6-cup (1.5 L) smooth metal bombe mould or stainless-steel bowl in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Chill the serving platter as well. Metal carries cold quickly and releases cleanly later; thick glass responds slowly and is more likely to warm the ginger shell during assembly.

2. 2

   Infuse the ginger ice

   Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan and warm gently, stirring only until the sugar dissolves. Add the sliced ginger, bring the syrup to a quiet simmer for 2 minutes, then cover, remove from the heat, and infuse for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve without forcing ginger pulp through, then add the lemon juice. The ginger fibres must come out because they won't soften in a frozen ice. Chill the syrup completely over an ice bath, then in the refrigerator if necessary.

   Taste a spoonful after chilling it. Cold mutes flavor, so the syrup should seem slightly more gingery and sweeter than the finished shell ought to be.
3. 3

   Clothe the mould

   Churn the cold ginger syrup in an ice-cream machine until thick, smooth, and spreadable. Apply the clothing-the-mould principle from Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916): press the ginger ice over the bottom and sides of the frozen mould in an even layer about ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick. Work in two passes if the ice slides, freezing the first thin coat for 15 minutes before completing it. Hold the clothed mould in the freezer for 45 minutes, until the shell is hard. If a crack or thin patch appears, soften a spoonful of ginger ice, press it over the fault, and refreeze. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Whip the pâte à bombe

   Place the yolks in the mixer bowl and begin whisking at medium speed. Combine the sugar and water in a small clean saucepan, stir over low heat until clear, then stop stirring and boil to 244°F (118°C). If crystals gather on the pan, cover it for 30 seconds so condensation washes them down, then continue; ça se rattrape, but don't scrape those crystals into the syrup. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup in a thin stream down the inside of the bowl, clear of the whisk. Increase the speed and beat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the pâte à bombe is thick, pale, cool to the touch, and holds a broad ribbon.

5. 5

   Fold the pistachio filling

   Stir one quarter of the pâte à bombe into the pistachio paste to loosen it, then fold this mixture back into the remaining pâte à bombe until the color is even. In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks that bend at their tips. Fold it into the pistachio base in three additions, preserving as much air as possible. The filling must be cool and softly mounded before it touches the ginger shell. If it feels warm or runs from the spatula, refrigerate it for 10 to 15 minutes, fold once, and check again.

6. 6

   Fill and freeze

   Spoon the pistachio Bombe-preparation into the frozen ginger shell, pressing gently against the sides so no large air pockets remain. Fill to the rim and level the base with a spatula. Cover the surface directly with parchment, seal the mould with its lid or foil, and freeze on a level shelf for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Don't rush this freeze: a soft centre collapses when the mould is lifted.

7. 7

   Unmould and serve

   Remove the parchment and dip only the outside of the mould into warm water for 3 to 5 seconds. Dry it, invert the chilled platter over the mould, then turn both together and lift. If the bombe clings, wrap the mould briefly in a warm damp towel or dip it for another 2 seconds. If the surface softens too far, return the unmoulded bombe to the freezer for 15 minutes. Let it stand for 5 minutes before slicing with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts. The ginger shell should cut cleanly around the silken pistachio centre. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Buy pure, unsweetened pistachio paste, made from pistachios and little else. Sweetened pistachio spread alters both the sugar balance and the body of the filling, and the bombe may freeze too softly.
• •Slice the ginger rather than grating it. Grating releases a cloud of fibres that is difficult to strain completely, and those fibres stay wiry in the finished ice.
• •A stainless-steel mixing bowl is an excellent home bombe mould. Choose one with a smooth interior and about a 6-cup (1.5 L) capacity; elaborate fluting makes an even ginger shell harder to judge.
• •Serve the bombe without decorative clutter. Its clean amber shell and pale pistachio centre are the finish. A demi-sec Champagne alongside has enough fruit and sweetness to meet the ginger.
• •Once fully frozen, wrap the bombe closely to prevent freezer odors and surface crystals. It is at its best within 3 days.

Advance Preparation

• •The ginger syrup can be infused, strained, and refrigerated up to 2 days ahead. Churn it only when you are ready to clothe the frozen mould.
• •The ginger shell can be completed a day ahead and kept covered in its mould. Fill it while both the shell and pistachio Bombe-preparation are properly cold.
• •The assembled bombe should freeze for at least 6 hours and is easier to manage when made the day before the celebration. Unmould it shortly before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 175g)