Bombe Skobeleff

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1 litre (1 quart) metal bombe mould or deep stainless-steel bowl
• •Ice cream maker or shallow metal freezing tray
• •Electric mixer or balloon whisk
• •Small offset spatula
• •Chilled serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the mould

   Set a 1 litre metal bombe mould or deep stainless-steel bowl in the coldest part of the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Chill the mixing bowl, beaters, and serving platter as well. Both spirits in this dessert resist freezing, so cold equipment and exact measures are part of the technique, not fuss.

   A thin metal mould freezes the shell faster and releases more cleanly than glass or heavy ceramic.
2. 2

   Make vodka syrup

   Combine the sugar with half the water, ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (200 ml / 200 g), in a small saucepan. Bring it just to a simmer, stirring until every crystal disappears, then cook for one minute. Remove from the heat and add the remaining water. Cool completely before stirring in the measured vodka; adding it to hot syrup throws its aroma into the room instead of keeping it in the ice. Chill the mixture for one hour.

3. 3

   Churn vodka ice

   Churn the cold vodka mixture in an ice cream maker until it resembles a firm, fine-grained sorbet, usually 20 to 30 minutes. It must hold against a spatula without running. If it remains loose after churning, spread it in a shallow metal tray and freeze for 20 minutes, stir firmly, then repeat once if necessary. Ça se rattrape. Correctly measured spirit will firm; free-poured spirit may not.

   Without an ice cream maker, freeze the mixture in a shallow metal tray and whisk it thoroughly every 25 minutes until fine-grained and packable. The texture will be slightly coarser, but the moulding will still work.
4. 4

   Chemiser le moule

   Chemiser le moule, clothing the mould, is the construction that makes this a bombe. The book points to Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916) for the operation; only its mould-coating technique crosses into this dessert. Press three quarters of the vodka ice firmly over the bottom and sides of the frozen mould in an even layer about 1 cm thick, then freeze for 15 minutes. Inspect it against the light, patch every thin spot with more ice, and freeze for another 15 minutes. Keep the remaining quarter frozen but spreadable for sealing the base.

5. 5

   Whip Kümmel Chantilly

   Whip the 270 ml heavy cream with the superfine sugar in the chilled bowl until it holds soft peaks. Add the Kümmel one teaspoon at a time, whisking gently after each addition, and stop when the Chantilly holds a supple medium peak. Alcohol loosens whipped cream, so pouring it in at once is the likely failure. If the cream turns grainy, stop immediately and fold in the reserved cold cream a teaspoon at a time until smooth. Ça se rattrape.

6. 6

   Fill and seal

   Spoon the Kümmel Chantilly into the clothed mould, pressing it gently into the curve so no hollow pockets remain, but don't crush out all its air. Leave 1 cm clear at the top and freeze for 20 minutes to firm the surface. Spread the reserved vodka ice over the opening, packing it against the shell to make a complete seal. If the ice has hardened beyond spreading, leave it in the refrigerator for five minutes and work it firmly with a spatula.

7. 7

   Freeze it hard

   Cover the surface closely and freeze the bombe at or below -18°C (0°F) for at least six hours, preferably eight. This long freeze is the dish: vodka outside and Kümmel inside both soften the set, and no flourish can replace the missing time. If the centre still yields when pressed after six hours, nothing has failed. Leave it in the cold. One cook, one stove, one evening of work, then the freezer finishes the service.

8. 8

   Unmould and serve

   Set the chilled platter over the mould and invert both together. Wrap the mould for three to five seconds in a towel wrung out in warm water, then lift it straight away. If it holds, repeat for two seconds rather than prying at the shell. Return a softening bombe to the freezer on its platter for 20 minutes. Cut with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between slices, revealing the ivory Kümmel Chantilly inside its pale vodka shell. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Measure the vodka and Kümmel, don't free-pour either one. Their alcohol is part of the texture calculation, and generosity in the glass becomes softness in the freezer.
• •Buy true Kümmel liqueur, clear, sweet, and led by caraway. Aquavit is drier and changes both the flavour and sugar balance; if Kümmel cannot be found, choose another bombe rather than pretending the substitution disappears.
• •A 1 litre metal bombe mould is useful but not sacred. A deep stainless-steel bowl gives the same rounded silhouette and freezes efficiently. Dedicated equipment is scaffolding; the even vodka shell is the technique.
• •Serve on chilled plates and cut with a hot, dry knife. Warm china and repeated sawing blur the boundary between the vodka ice and the Chantilly, which is the whole pleasure of the slice.

Advance Preparation

• •The plain sugar syrup can be made up to three days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Stir in the vodka only after the syrup is completely cold.
• •The assembled bombe can be frozen up to three days ahead. Cover it closely so the cream doesn't collect freezer aromas, and leave it in the mould until serving.
• •The bombe may be unmoulded onto its chilled platter 30 minutes before serving and returned to the freezer, which removes the last-minute drama from a dinner party.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 150g)