FEATURE RECIPE
Bombe Alaska with Neapolitan ice-cream

Bombe Alaska with Neapolitan ice-cream

When assembling the bombe, you need to make sure the ice-creams are soft enough to work with but not melted. You’ll need to begin this recipe a day ahead.

Serves 12

Cooking Time Prep time 40 mins, cook 20 mins (plus cooling, freezing)



1 litre   (4 cups) pouring cream
2   vanilla beans, split and seeds scraped
16   egg yolks
400 gm   caster sugar
250 gm   dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
375 gm   raspberries (about 3 punnets)
Meringue
4   eggwhites
220 gm   (1 cup) caster sugar
2 tbsp   cornflour, sifted
2 tsp   white vinegar


1 Combine half the cream, vanilla beans and vanilla seeds in a large saucepan, bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, whisk yolks and sugar in a large heatproof bowl until thick and pale (4-5 minutes). Pour cream mixture over yolk mixture, whisking continuously to combine, then return to a clean pan and stir continuously over low heat until mixture coats the back of a spoon thickly (10-15 minutes). Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl placed over ice, cool completely.
2 Whisk remaining cream until soft peaks form, fold through cooled custard. Divide into thirds, freeze one-third in an ice-cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions and freeze until required.
3 Process raspberries in a food processor until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve to yield 250ml purée. Stir into one portion of the remaining custard, freeze in an ice-cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions and freeze until required.
4 Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, add to remaining custard, stir to combine. Freeze in an ice-cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Meanwhile, remove vanilla and raspberry ice-creams from freezer to soften slightly.
5 Place a 2.5 litre tiffin mould (see note) in freezer until cold. Spoon large dollops of each ice-cream randomly into mould to create marbled pattern, tapping mould as you go to remove air bubbles. Smooth top, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours.
6 For meringue, whisk eggwhites in electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form (1-2 minutes). Gradually add sugar, whisk continuously until stiff and shiny (4-5 minutes), add cornflour and vinegar, whisk to combine.
7 Dip mould in hot water and unmould onto a serving platter. Cover bombe with meringue using abstract stokes, ensuring there are no holes. Toast all over with a kitchen blowtorch set on medium until golden (1-2 minutes), cut into wedges, serve immediately.

Note Tiffin moulds are available from speciality cake shops such as Iced Affair.

This recipe is from the November 2009 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.

RECIPE John Wilson PHOTOGRAPHY William Meppem STYLING Emma Knowles


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