At Ballymaloe, I started adding an occasional ice cream as an extra dish on my prep list. Ice creams were fun and allowed me to play around a bit. Although we did a variety of dishes each day, making ice cream gave me the chance for a small bit of creativity. And really, who could resist ice cream on a beautiful Spring day in Ireland? Actually, it's hard to resist on a cloudy day, in my mind. At any rate, this goes well as a balance to various Asian dishes.
Serves 4
Ingredients
350 ml / 12 fl oz milk
2 tsp ground ginger, powdered (4 tsp fresh ginger)
5 large egg yolks
125 g / 4.5 oz granulated sugar
300 ml / 10 fl oz cream
2-3 pieces of stem ginger, finely chopped
Over a medium heat, add the ground ginger to the milk and bring to just under a boil. Gently simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover with a tea towel and leave to cool for about 20 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of cooling the milk, whisk the egg yolks. After about 2 minutes, allowing the yolks to mix well, slowly add the sugar. Continue whisking until the mixture is pale and nearly doubled. Strain the milk and fold into the egg/sugar mixture, so as not to cook the eggs. Return to the mixture to a low heat and cook until it thickens enough to hold a line when running your finger over the back of a spoon. When cooled, stir in the cream and transfer to an ice cream machine. Add the stem ginger about halfway through the churning.
Things to remember
Powdered ginger will be twice as strong as fresh, hence twice the amount of fresh. Regarding sweetness and adding flavors, both will diminish somewhat during freezing, so add just a bit more on the front end. After a couple goes, you'll get to know the amount of flavoring to add.
By covering the infused milk with a tea towel instead of a lid protects it from developing a skin and reducing, while allowing it to cool.
Whisking the eggs and sugar until it doubles in volume gives additional creaminess to the ice cream.
"Folding" in the warm milk will help keep the consistency of the egg/sugar mixture. There are other methods of combining warm milk and eggs. It's a matter of trying each method, finding the texture you want in the end. Consider the flavor and whether the texture should be a bit creamier (chocolate) or a bit lighter (lemongrass). This is part of the fun...honest.
Adding the stem ginger halfway into the churning ensures it will be evenly dispersed throughout. Otherwise, if added before it's thick enough, the ginger will sink to the bottom.
28 September 2008
Yoghurt
My wife's homemade breakfasts aside, yoghurt with honey is probably my favorite breakfast. Of course, the honey must be Irish. Ahh, enjoy the morning.
Makes 2.5 pints / 1180 mls
Ingredients
4 pints / 1900 mls milk
1/2 pint / 240 mls double cream (heavy whipping cream)
9 fl oz / 270 mls live plain yoghurt
Over a medium heat, bring the milk just to the boil, then very gently simmer to avoid scorching the milk. Allow it to reduce by a third. Transfer it to an earthenware bowl, add cream and set aside to cool. When it's cool enough to leave your finger in the milk/cream mixture until the count of 10 (mississippis, not alligators), add the yoghurt. Cover with cling film and leave in a warm place overnight or until set. The consistency should be spoonable, certainly not watered down. If you wish to add fruit, I'd recommend doing so after it has set. It will keep in the fridge for about a week.
Darina Allen
Things to remember
The reason the milk is boiled is to reduce and develop a concentrated/thicker consistency. More importantly, it "cleans" the milk of it's resident bacteria and allows the yoghurt's bacteria to take over.
The yoghurt can be normal store bought, but it does need to indicate the word "live" somewhere on the label. And yes, it does matter the type of yoghurt you use - garbage ingredients going in, results in garbage on your spoon. Your choice.
Using an earthenware bowl is preferable to keeping the mixture in the saucepan, as it prevents the acid in the yoghurt from reacting with the metal saucepan.
"A warm place" you ask? A normal and stable room temperature often works, but I have also covered it with a towel to help the process along a bit.
Although you may find yourself wanting to finish the whole bowl of yoghurt, do remember to set aside enough to continue the process for your next batch.
Makes 2.5 pints / 1180 mls
Ingredients
4 pints / 1900 mls milk
1/2 pint / 240 mls double cream (heavy whipping cream)
9 fl oz / 270 mls live plain yoghurt
Over a medium heat, bring the milk just to the boil, then very gently simmer to avoid scorching the milk. Allow it to reduce by a third. Transfer it to an earthenware bowl, add cream and set aside to cool. When it's cool enough to leave your finger in the milk/cream mixture until the count of 10 (mississippis, not alligators), add the yoghurt. Cover with cling film and leave in a warm place overnight or until set. The consistency should be spoonable, certainly not watered down. If you wish to add fruit, I'd recommend doing so after it has set. It will keep in the fridge for about a week.
Darina Allen
Things to remember
The reason the milk is boiled is to reduce and develop a concentrated/thicker consistency. More importantly, it "cleans" the milk of it's resident bacteria and allows the yoghurt's bacteria to take over.
The yoghurt can be normal store bought, but it does need to indicate the word "live" somewhere on the label. And yes, it does matter the type of yoghurt you use - garbage ingredients going in, results in garbage on your spoon. Your choice.
Using an earthenware bowl is preferable to keeping the mixture in the saucepan, as it prevents the acid in the yoghurt from reacting with the metal saucepan.
"A warm place" you ask? A normal and stable room temperature often works, but I have also covered it with a towel to help the process along a bit.
Although you may find yourself wanting to finish the whole bowl of yoghurt, do remember to set aside enough to continue the process for your next batch.
First things first
I've considered writing about food and after a bit of prodding, I'm finally getting on with it. I plan to give a few recipes and ideas on dishes and some occasional and random thoughts on food. It'll hopefully be good fun...
The recipes are based in either grams/millilitres or ounces/fluid ounces. I'll try to list the converted measure for each, just know the second (converted) measure will be approximate. Personally, I prefer to use grams and millilitres, as they are more accurate. Although, with the exception of baking, most recipes do not necessarily call for such accuracy. So, this makes it easier for me to tweak a recipe.
Keep in mind recipes really are just a guide...the interpretation of a recipe will be as diverse as each person who cooks. I'd suggest you don't blindly follow the recipes, but instead follow your own taste as you become more familiar and comfortable with the ingredients. Before you start cooking, read through the whole recipe. As we go along, all this will become very clear.
When the recipes aren't my own, I'll list the source. It's just shite not to.
Oh yeah, remember this: Butter - good. Salt - good. Some of you may be hesitant about this, but they add and allow flavor to develop. As with most things in life, cooking is all about balance. There is a place for both.
Most importantly, enjoy yourself and the comfort of food...
The recipes are based in either grams/millilitres or ounces/fluid ounces. I'll try to list the converted measure for each, just know the second (converted) measure will be approximate. Personally, I prefer to use grams and millilitres, as they are more accurate. Although, with the exception of baking, most recipes do not necessarily call for such accuracy. So, this makes it easier for me to tweak a recipe.
Keep in mind recipes really are just a guide...the interpretation of a recipe will be as diverse as each person who cooks. I'd suggest you don't blindly follow the recipes, but instead follow your own taste as you become more familiar and comfortable with the ingredients. Before you start cooking, read through the whole recipe. As we go along, all this will become very clear.
When the recipes aren't my own, I'll list the source. It's just shite not to.
Oh yeah, remember this: Butter - good. Salt - good. Some of you may be hesitant about this, but they add and allow flavor to develop. As with most things in life, cooking is all about balance. There is a place for both.
Most importantly, enjoy yourself and the comfort of food...
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