Pie and Pastry Bible (69 page)

MAKES: ABOUT 3 CUPS (DEPENDING ON THE ICE CREAM MAKER)
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
*If Tahitian vanilla beans are unavailable, use 2 inches of regular (Madagascar) vanilla bean (or ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, added just before freezing).
Sugar	½ cup, divided	3,5 ounces	100 grams
Tahitian vanilla bean, split lengthwise*	1-inch piece	•	•
fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped	¼ cup (loosely packed)	1 ounce	28 grams
water	liquid cup	2.75 ounces	78 grams
4 large egg yolks	scant liquid cup	2.6 ounces	74 grams
salt	a small pinch	•	•
heavy cream or Cræme Fraîche (page 558)	1½ liquid cups	12.25 ounces	348 grams
milk	½ liquid cup	4.25 ounces	121 grams
optional: Canton ginger liqueur or vodka	1 tablespoon	•	•
optional: Cobasan	½ teaspoon	•	•

In a small saucepan, place 6 tablespoons of the sugar and the vanilla bean and, using your fingers, rub the seeds into the sugar. Drop in the pod. Add the ginger and water and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Stop stirring, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes, without stirring. Remove the ginger syrup from the heat, cover, and allow to cool for about 30 minutes or until room temperature.

Have a fine strainer suspended over a medium mixing bowl ready near the range.

In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, using a wooden spoon, stir together the yolks, the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, and the salt until well blended.

In a small saucepan (or a heatproof glass measure if using a microwave on high power), place the cream and milk. Stir a few tablespoons into the yolk mixture, then gradually add the remainder, stirring constantly. Heat the mixture, stirring constantly, to just below the boiling point (170° to 180°F.).
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Steam will begin to appear and the mixture will be slightly thicker than heavy cream. If a finger is run across the back of the spoon, it will leave a well-defined track. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into the strainer, scraping up the thickened cream that has settled on the bottom of the pan.

Cool by setting the bowl in a large bowl of ice water or in the refrigerator until cold, at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Meanwhile, strain the ginger, reserving the syrup. Remove the vanilla pod (rinse and dry it for future use). Place the ginger in a mini chopper along with 2 tablespoons of the syrup and purée until the ginger is very fine. Add this mixture together with the syrup to the ice cream base.

When chilled, stir in the optional liqueur and Cobasan, and freeze in an ice cream maker. Allow the ice cream to ripen for at least 2 hours in the freezer before serving. If it has been held longer and is very hard, allow it to sit refrigerated or at room temperature until softened and creamy.

STORE

Frozen, up to 1 week. The ice cream has the best texture within 3 days of freezing but with the liqueur will maintain its texture for up to a week.

NOTE

To make this ice cream without a mini processor, instead of chopping the ginger, to start, grate it finely using a fine grater with small rough holes (as opposed to a shredder with oval openings). You will need 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons to equal 1 ounce. After simmering it in the sugar syrup, let cool, then add the entire mixture to the ice cream base.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

See page 223.

UNDERSTANDING

The total amount of sugar for the basic ice cream base is increased by 2 tablespoons to balance the sharpness of the ginger. Three quarters of the sugar is used in a poaching syrup for the ginger to soften its bite and prevent curdling of the cream mixture from direct contact with the acidity in the ginger.

CARAMEL ICE CREAM

T
his ice cream will have the best caramel flavor of any you have ever tasted if you bring the caramel to a 20 to 25 degrees higher temperature than usual (380°F.). This increases its intensity. But you have to walk a fine line: too high, and it will taste burnt and bitter.

This ice cream has one and a half times more sugar than my vanilla ice cream both because caramelization decreases sweetness to some degree and because more is needed to intensify the caramel flavor. More milk is needed than for the vanilla ice cream because some of it evaporates and concentrates when added to the caramel.

Caramel ice cream is the ideal accompaniment to any apple pie or tart. It is also great with pear, peach, or nectarine pie and with chocolate tarts such as the Chocolate Oblivion Tartlets or the Brownie Puddle. And for the true caramel lover, it would make a fabulous replacement for the vanilla ice cream in the Banana Split Pie.

EQUIPMENT

A heavy saucepan, at least 5-cup capacity, ideally with a nonstick lining

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the cream and drop in the pod. Chill until ready to add it to the custard mixture.

In a small saucepan (or a heatproof glass measure if using a microwave on high power) scald the milk.
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Remove from heat and cover to keep it warm.

In the heavy saucepan, stir together the sugar and water until the sugar is completely moistened and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook, without stirring, until deep amber (380°E). Remove it from the heat and slowly pour in the hot milk. It will bubble up furiously for about a minute. Return it to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the caramel is totally dissolved and the mixture is reduced to ¾ cup. Remove from heat. (If any undissolved caramel remains in the saucepan, set it aside until you finish the custard mixture. Then return the custard mixture to the saucepan and refrigerate it for a few hours or until the caramel has dissolved completely.)

Have a fine strainer suspended over a medium mixing bowl ready near the range.

In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, with a wooden spoon, stir together the yolks and salt until well blended. Stir a few tablespoons of the hot caramel mixture into the yolk mixture, then gradually add the remainder, stirring constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat it over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, to just below the boiling point (170° to 180°F.). Steam will begin to appear and the mixture will be slightly thicker than heavy cream. If a finger is run across the back of the spoon, it will leave a well-defined track. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into the strainer, scraping up the thickened custard that has settled on the bottom of the pan. Add the heavy cream and vanilla pod.

Cool the mixture by setting the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water or the refrigerator until cold, at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Stir in the optional vodka. Remove the vanilla pod (rinse and dry for future use) and freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker. Allow the ice cream to ripen for at least 2 hours in the freezer before serving. If it has been held longer and is very hard, allow it tosit refrigerated or at room temperature until softened and creamy.

STORE

Frozen, up to 1 week. The ice cream has the best texture within 3 days of freezing but with the vodka will maintain its texture for up to a week.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

See page 223.

Heating the syrup to 380°F. makes a very deep caramel without being bitter. Avoid going higher. If you don’t have an accurate thermometer, a porcelain spoon will show you just how dark the caramel is getting (it’s difficult to discern against most other surfaces). Taking caramel to a temperature this high requires the right equipment and/or experience with making caramel.