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Wednesday 2nd October 2019

Sicillian Bombe

 Ingredients (Serves 6-8)

  • 600ml (2 ½ cups) whole milk
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 145g (1 ½ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 150ml (2/3 cup) whipping cream
  • 1 tbsp icing (confectioner’s) sugar
  • 25g (1 oz) dried mixed (candied) peel
  • 25g (1 oz) glace cherries
  • 15g (1/2 oz) shelled pistachio nuts, chopped

 

Method

Place 1.2 litre (2 pints) bowl in the freezer.

Pour the milk into a heavy-based saucepan, bring almost to the boil, then remove from the heat. Put the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk together until pale in colour. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon. Strain into a clean saucepan and cook over a low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. (under to circumstances let the mixture boil or it will curdle).

Remove the custard from the heat, stir in the lemon zest, then allow to cool for at least an hour, stirring from time to time to prevent a skin forming. When cold, churn in an ice cream machine. Alternatively, pour into a freezerproof container and freeze, uncovered, for 1-2 hours until it begins to set around the edges, then turn out into a and stir with a fork until smooth. Return to the freezer for a further 2-3 hours until firm, then remove and beat again until smooth.

Remove the bowl from the freezer and spread the ice cream so that it coats the sides and base of the bowl evenly, leaving a hole in the centre. Put back in the freezer until firm.

In a large mixing bowl, whip the cream until it holds its shape. Sift the icing sugar into the cream, then fold in the mixed peel, cherries and pistachios. Remove the bowl of ice cream from the freezer and spoon the mixture into the hole in the centre. Cover and return to the freezer for 2-4 hours until firm.

About 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve, remove the bowl from the freezer. Uncover, place a serving plate over the top, turn the bowl upside down and leave at room temperature. Once it has loosened its grip on the ice cream, lift the bowl off to serve. Alternatively, the bowl’s grip can be loosened by carefully immersing it in hot water for a few seconds.