Heston Blumenthal (photo above), the chef of The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, UK, is known for his molecular gastronomy. He also pioneered flavor pairing of complimentary but unique ingredients. One of his pairings is garlic and coffee. This roasted garlic ice cream with a coffee-garlic swirl was inspired by that pairing.
Roasted Garlic and Coffee Ice Cream
2 cups cream
1 cup milk
2 heads garlic, roasted and pureed
1/4 cup dark roast coffee beans
2 tbsp honey
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped Garlic-Coffee Brittle (see Below)
1. Combine the cream, milk, garlic, coffee, and honey in saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and then remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 1 hour. Strain into a clean saucepan and return to a simmer over medium heat.
2. Mix egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla in bowl. Whisk a ladleful of the garlic-cream mixture into the yolks until smooth. Return this to the saucepan and simmer until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 6 minutes. Strain through a wire mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate in a covered container for at least 8 and up to 24 hours.
3. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the garlic-coffee brittle. Pack into freezer containers and let the ice cream ripen in the freezer for at least 3 hours before serving. If the ice cream has been frozen longer than 6 hours, transfer it to the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.
Garlic-Coffee Brittle
The trick with a brittle is to have everything ready and at the right temperature before you start cooking the brittle. Cooked sugar is always extremely hot, so be sure to protect your hands and arms and always pour away from yourself.
Makes about 12 ounces
½ cup garlic cloves, blanched and peeled
1 cup sugar
¼ cup corn syrup
2 tbsp butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup coarsely cracked dark roast or espresso coffee beans.
1. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick silpat, parchment, or wax paper.
2. Chop the garlic coarsely and set aside.
3. Combine the sugar and corn syrup in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Continue to boil until the mixture reaches 300°F (hard crack stage) on a candy thermometer and is a rich golden brown.
4. Immediately remove from the heat and add butter, vanilla and salt, stirring until the butter melts and is completely emulsified into the sugar. Add the garlic and coffee beans and stir to coat completely.
5. Working quickly and carefully, scrape the hot mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Tilt the pan so it flows into an even layer and after it has cooled for a minute or two, use a metal or silicon spatula to spread it into an even layer. Let the brittle cool completely, at least 1 hour, and then break into chunks.
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