Australian Gourmet Traveller - (09)September 2020 (1)

Anatomy of a dish

THESPONGE

A thicklayerofsponge

cakeformsthebaseofthis

spectaculardessert.It’s

generallya plainvanillaflavour

(butcanbetrickedupwith

chocolate)thatseamlessly

balancesthecreamytextures

oftheice-creamandmeringue.

Thecakeis baked,thencutto

fitthebottomoftheice-cream

mouldtoformthedessert’s

basewhenflipped.

THEICE-CREAM

Traditionalrecipescallforvanilla

orchocolateice-creamasthe

centrepiece,orpossiblya combination

ofboth.However,somevariations

incorporateraspberry,orangeand

evenGuinness.OneGTrecipeuses

bothraspberrysorbetandchocolate

ice-creamtocreatea vibrantand

fruityversionoftheclassic.

THEMERINGUE

Themeringueis thefinalelement,

andgivesthisdishanexterior

reminiscentofsoftsnowpeaks.

Italian-stylemeringue,whichis

alreadypartlycookedfromthe

additionofhot,meltedsugar,is

bestfora bombe;thesoft-yet-

pliableconsistencycanbepiped

througha nozzlefora spikyeffect,

orspoonedoverandswirledinto

peakswiththebackofa spoon.

Themeringueis thencaramelised

witha blowtorch.Fora dramatic

finish,flambéeit withwarmed

rumorGrandMarnieratthetable,

addinganalcohol-infusedcrunch.

Fewdessertsimpresslikethis

sugar-sweet spectacle.

Bombe

Alaska

A

theatricaldisplayoffire

andice,thebombeAlaska

seesa domeofchocolate

orvanillaice-cream

groundedbya thicklayerofsponge

cakeandcoatedwithelegantwhips

oftorchedmeringue.Theshow-

stoppingdessertis a fire-fuelled

interpretationofthebakedAlaska

• a dishsupposedlycreatedina New
  Orleansrestaurantin1867,honouring
  theUnitedStates’acquisitionof
  AlaskafromtheRussianEmpire.
  Whilethebakedversionis putto
  workinanoven,thebombeAlaska
  is flambéedorblowtorched to create
  a crisp, golden exterior.

Sydney’sFiredoorhasseena fewvariationsofbombeAlaska

onitsmenu;fromsmokedwhitechocolatewithdesertlime

tococonutandgreenmango.Althoughit’snotpermanently

on the menu, it makes an occasional comeback.

Find

it

GOURMET TRAVELLER 45

WORDS

GEORGIE

MEREDITH.

PHOTOGRAPHY

CHRIS

COURT.

STYLING CLAIRE DELMAR & LISA FEATHERBY. ALL PROPS STYLIST’S OWN.