Ginger Ice Cream

I had my first taste of ginger ice cream in a favorite sushi restaurant a few years ago and have sought to reproduce that intense ginger flavor in my own kitchen. After making gallons of ginger ice cream, I was finely successful.

Two forms of ginger, fresh and crystallized, makes this rich smooth ice cream a double treat. Chopped fresh ginger is pureed in a food processor,squeezed through a cheesecloth bag to extract ginger juice which is then added to the cooked custard. Near the end of the freezing process, minced candied ginger goes for added flavor and texture. If you love ginger and ice cream, this is the recipe for you. Ginger ice cream will be a perfect ending to a meal of sushi or any other Asian or grilled meat dish.

When shopping for fresh ginger, look for unwrinkled rhizomes with no mold spots. Fresh ginger can keep in the refrigerator for a few weeks wrapped in several layers of paper towel. Crystallized ginger should be firm with a good coating of sugar and not clumped together.




Ginger Ice Cream

1 cup chopped ginger with peel
1/2 cup water
2 cups half and half
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 cup minced crystallized ginger

In a food processor, combine chopped fresh ginger with the water and puree. Line a bowl with a piece of cheesecloth and pour the pureed mixture into it. Gather ends of cheesecloth together and squeeze out as much juice as possible.

Whisk egg yolks and sugar together in a small bowl. In a medium saucepan over medium heat,combine the half and half with the whipping cream. Heat until small bubble appear around the edges. Do not boil. Whisk in some of the hot cream into the egg yolk sugar mixture to temper it, then add it to the cream mixture. Cook over medium low to low heat, stirring constantly, until custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, cool slightly and add the ginger juice. Transfer mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until very cold.

Pour mixture into an electric ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions. During the last few minutes of processing, add the crystallized ginger. Place in freezer container and freeze for several hours until firm.

Makes about a quart. Recipe adapted from "Asian Grilling" by Su-Mei Yu.