Pudding de Castries

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5-liter metal bombe mould, pudding basin, or deep stainless-steel bowl
• •Stand mixer or powerful electric hand mixer
• •Sugar thermometer
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Small offset spatula
• •Level freezer shelf

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the mould

   Clear a level place on the coldest freezer shelf and chill a 1.5-liter metal bombe mould or deep metal bowl for 20 minutes. The operational idea comes from Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916): clothing the mould means coating its entire interior with a thin, even layer that is set before the filling arrives. Only that technique crosses into this dessert, never the fish aspic preparation.

2. 2

   Clothe with vanilla ice

   Work about two-thirds of the softened vanilla ice cream over the bottom and sides of the chilled mould in an even layer about 6 mm thick. Use the back of a cold spoon or a small offset spatula, pressing out air pockets and filling every bare patch. Freeze for 30 minutes, then inspect the shell against the light and repair any thin places with more ice cream. Reserve the remainder for the closing layer and return both it and the mould to the freezer.

   The ice cream should bend under the spoon but never flow. If it becomes glossy or begins slipping down the mould, freeze both mould and ice cream for 10 minutes before continuing.
3. 3

   Reduce the tangerine syrup

   Reserve 2 tablespoons of the tangerine juice for correcting the syrup. Combine the remaining juice, tangerine zest, and ½ cup sugar in a small saucepan. Bring it gently to a simmer, skimming any pale foam, then reduce it to 1 cup. It should taste brighter and sweeter than juice but remain fluid when cold. Strain it and cool it over ice. Reserve ¼ cup for the tangerine bombe and chill the rest for serving. If the syrup reduces too far and turns sticky, whisk in the reserved juice a spoonful at a time. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Whip the bombe base

   Put the yolks in the mixer bowl and begin beating at medium speed. Combine the remaining sugar and water in a small saucepan, dissolve them over gentle heat, then boil without stirring to 118°C. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup in a thin stream down the inside of the bowl, keeping it away from the whisk. Beat at high speed until the pâte à bombe triples in volume, holds a thick ribbon, and the bowl feels cool, about 8 minutes. If the syrup crystallizes in its pan, cover it for 30 seconds so condensation washes the sides, then let the crystals dissolve before continuing. If a few cooked threads form in the yolks, press the warm mixture through a fine sieve and resume whisking immediately.

   The syrup cooks and stabilizes the yolks while trapping the air that keeps the frozen filling light. Pour against the bowl, not onto the moving whisk, or hot sugar will spin onto the sides instead of reaching the yolks.
5. 5

   Divide and flavour

   Whip the cold cream to soft peaks, stopping when it holds its shape but still folds easily. Fold one-third into the pâte à bombe to loosen it, then fold in the rest without crushing the air. Divide the mixture evenly between two cold bowls. Fold the vanilla bean paste into one bowl and the reserved ¼ cup cold tangerine syrup into the other. Keep both preparations cold while you assemble the mould. If the tangerine mixture loosens noticeably, chill it for 10 minutes and give it one gentle fold before using.

6. 6

   Season the biscuits

   Put the diced ladyfingers in a shallow bowl and sprinkle the anisette evenly over them, turning once with a spoon. They should be fragrant and lightly moistened, not collapsed into paste. Leave them for 5 minutes so the liqueur distributes through the crumb.

7. 7

   Build frozen bands

   Spread half the vanilla bombe preparation inside the frozen shell in a broad, level band. Scatter half the anisette biscuits over it and add a light pinch of grated chocolate. Freeze until completely firm, 25 to 35 minutes. Add half the tangerine preparation, level it without pressing, sprinkle lightly with chocolate, and freeze it firm. Repeat with the remaining vanilla preparation, biscuits, and chocolate, then finish with the remaining tangerine preparation and a final pinch of chocolate, stopping about 1 cm below the rim. Keep the waiting mixtures covered in the refrigerator. If a new layer breaks through the one beneath, lift away the loose mixture at once and refreeze the mould for 20 minutes before trying again. Ça se rattrape, but only if you stop rather than stirring the colours together.

   Judge each layer by touch, not by the clock. It is ready when a clean fingertip leaves no dent. The waiting is not brigade ceremony; it is the structure of the dish.
8. 8

   Seal and freeze

   Soften the reserved vanilla ice cream just enough to spread, then cover the final layer completely, filling the mould to its rim. Smooth the surface and close it tightly with its lid, or with plastic wrap pressed to the ice and a second layer of foil. Freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. The original mould was packed in salted ice for two or three hours; a home freezer cools more gently, so the longer still freeze is the honest equivalent.

9. 9

   Unmould and finish

   Chill the serving platter and its folded white napkin. Dip only the outside of the mould in hot tap water for 5 seconds, dry it, then invert it onto the napkin. If the bombe does not release, repeat for another 3 seconds rather than warming it continuously. Return a softened bombe to the freezer for 15 minutes before decorating. Sprinkle the top and shoulders with the red, coarsely crushed Pralin (No. 2352). Serve at once with the iced tangerine syrup in a cold pitcher, slicing with a hot, dry knife. À table!

   The folded napkin is practical, not theater. It catches condensation and prevents the frozen mould from sliding while it is carried and carved.

Chef Tips

• •Choose a dense full-fat vanilla ice cream made with real cream. Preparing a separate churned vanilla ice was sensible for a professional glacier with several frozen desserts underway; for one bombe, good prepared ice cream performs the same structural job honestly.
• •Fresh tangerine juice gives the filling its floral bitterness as well as sweetness. If the fruit is tired, use unsweetened frozen tangerine juice and keep fresh zest for the perfume. The classical pantry has always preferred an honest preserved ingredient to a sad fresh one.
• •Use anisette, and measure it. Extra liqueur does not mean extra flavour here; alcohol resists freezing, and drenched biscuits can leave soft pockets inside the finished bombe.
• •The Pralin (No. 2352) must be completely cold, dry, and coarsely crushed before it meets the bombe. Warm or sticky pralin melts the surface and loses its clean crunch.
• •Iced tangerine syrup means thoroughly chilled syrup served separately, not syrup diluted over loose ice. Keep its pitcher in the refrigerator and set it beside the bombe only when you serve.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the Pralin (No. 2352) through its own entry several days ahead and store it airtight in a dry place. Crush and tint the required portion as specified by that preparation before serving.
• •The tangerine syrup can be reduced, strained, and chilled a day ahead. Reserve the portion for the bombe separately so it remains measured and ready.
• •Assemble and freeze the complete bombe the day before the celebration. It keeps well for up to 3 days when tightly closed, though the biscuits soften and the ice grows less delicate after that.
• •Chill the platter, serving napkin, syrup pitcher, and dessert plates before unmoulding. Cold service buys you a calm quarter-hour at the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 180g)