24 Jun Savory Garlic Ice Cream
We REALLY love ice cream. So much so, in fact, that we’ve been known to even sneak it into a meal. But savory ice cream? Strange as it may seem, garlic ice cream is very similar to a garlic custard in taste, but boasts the cool smoothness and creaminess we love in an ice cream. It’s like a savory crème anglaise in frozen form. The touch of honey helps to develop the natural sweetness of the garlic and balance the savory quality. Try one bite of this cool sensation with luscious mashed potatoes, steamed green beans or the crispy crust of a grilled steak – we guarantee it will send your tastebuds soaring and swooning for more!
Yields 1 quart
Ingredients
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
6 egg yolks
1 tablespoon honey
Pinch of salt
Pinch of white pepper
Equipment
Ice cream machine
Preparation
In a saucepan, gently heat the milk, cream and garlic just until steaming and small bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Remove from the heat, cover, and let infuse for 20 minutes.
Place a medium-sized bowl inside of a larger bowl filled with ice water. Set aside.
Half-fill a clean saucepan with water and heat over medium heat until just simmering. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and honey until smooth and pale yellow. Reheat the cream mixture just until it begins to steam, not letting it boil, and in a slow and steady stream, add it into the yolks, whisking briskly as you pour.
[Chef’s Note: This step is called tempering the eggs. Slowly bring the eggs up to temperature by adding a little hot liquid at a time so as not to shock, and cook them by adding the hot liquid all at once.]
Stir the mixture together thoroughly and then place the bowl over the saucepan of simmering water. Stir slowly but constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, but do not bring to a boil or it will most likely curdle. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the ice cream base into the medium bowl that is set in the larger bowl of ice water. Let cool completely and then freeze the custard in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Service
Serve as an accoutrement atop mashed potatoes or a piece of meat for a creamy contrast and surprising zing to any meal.
Recipe by Monica Glass