Fig Leaf Ice Cream - Wine & Spirits Magazine

Fig Leaf Ice Cream


Ingredients
  

Ice Cream

  • 1 l milk
  • 300 g heavy cream
  • 150 g powdered glucose
  • 120 g sugar
  • 100 g milk powder
  • 150 g whole eggs
  • large fig leaves, torn

Buckwheat Crumble

  • 300 g butter
  • 200 g sugar
  • 300 g almond flour
  • 225 g buckwheat flour
  • 6 g salt

Instructions
 

  • Heat milk and heavy cream in heavy-bottomed pot. Add sugars and milk powder, whisking constantly. Temper in eggs, and cook to 167 degrees Fahrenheit. Strain through a chinois over an ice bath. Add torn fig leaves to infuse. Cover. Taste after 3 minutes. If sufficiently steeped, strain out leaves. Chill base and mature overnight. Process in ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Fermented Grape Granita

  • Local farmer's market grapes when available, usually September through November in New York (used Niagara grapes here)
  • Pick grapes off branch. Pulse them in a food processor to break skins and partially extract juices. Put everything (juice, skins, seeds) in a non-reactive container and allow to ferment (the juice will become less sweet as the sugar turns to alcohol). Ferment until juice starts to become a bit effervescent. Process in small batches in a blender to extract juice. Do not process for a long time, as agitating the seeds will make the juice bitter. Strain through fine-mesh strainer, pressing down with your hands to release as much juice as possible. Freeze juice and scrape several times during the freezing process to produce a fine textured granita.

For the Buckwheat Crumble:

  • Heat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Paddle soft butter with sugar. Add flours and salt. Form into dough. Roll between two sheets of parchment and chill. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Let cool, then pulse in food processor into crumbs.

Fig Leaf Oil

  • 1-liter neutral oil (grapeseed or canola) 200 grams fig leaves, torn
  • Warm oil with fig leaves to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Infuse for 1 hour. Blend in vitamix on high speed until thoroughly blended. Cool immediately over an ice bath. Store cold.
  • To serve: plate a scoop of fig leaf ice cream. Place a scoop of granita in the bowl. Sprinkle buckwheat crumble on top. Drizzle with fig leaf oil.

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