Nigel Slater's Recipes for Fig Leaf Kefir Milk Ice Cream and Aromatic Damson Gin
I'm at the top of the rickety ladder, my head buried in the fig tree, its leaves spread out like the hands of a giant. It's my annual race with the blackbirds to get to the ripest fruit. This year, the fruit is burrata-sized and just as tender, its gelatinous flesh richer and sweeter than anything I've experienced since the tree was first planted 20 years ago. The rest of the garden might be as crispy as crispy pork, but the 2022 heat wave was good for my ficus and its crop.
It would be rude to be too s to mix in fruit as perfect as this one. Most will be eaten as is, the green and purple scoops stacked on an oval platter and brought to the table for all to laugh with abandon. But I also stop to break some of the smaller leaves. I need it to decorate a plate of white goat cheese, but especially to make ice cream. I've made a pale, milky ice cream with fruit and leaves before, but this time I want to use kefir instead of some of the milk, to make an ice cream that's less sweet and has more of the spirit of the ice cream. 'tree. Sweetness is something that can dilute the true flavor of any ice cream, but especially the more elusive apricot or fig.
What gives ice creams the fig leaf their subtle and extraordinary flavor is the milk sap contained in the leaves. In small quantities, it is as green and fragrant as freshly mown grass, but in large quantities, it exudes bitterness, hence the need to remove the milky stems. It's this sap that will cause your custard to curdle, but it still does a little, so skip the grainy mess and continue mixing it into a smooth green paste. The finished ice cream is thankfully unsweetened, but taste it as it churns, adding a little icing sugar to taste.
It's also the week of the year I make a batch of damson gin. A sweet and deep ruby liqueur to guide me through cold winter nights. This time a few aromatics came in along with the fruit, gin and sugar. A sprinkle of green cardamom pods and coriander seeds added a little extra warmth to my favorite winter drink.
Fig leaf and kefir milk ice creamI I've made versions of this ice cream since my fig tree came of age, but this year's one, with the addition of kefir, is new and seems an improvement over my previous versions. It's a good idea not to include any of the thick stems, as the milky sap they contain can cause the milk to curdle. (You may see some when you add the leaves to your milk, but don't worry, it disappears in the blender.) It's important to use very fresh milk. Serves 6
fig leaves 50 g without stems whole milk 500 ml yolks 6 caster sugar 100 g kefir 300 ml icing sugar 5 càs (optional)
Wash the fig leaves (don't skip this step, even if they look clean), then thinly slice them using a big knife. Pour the milk into a small saucepan and bring the milk almost to a boil. As the bubbles start to rise around the edges, add the shredded fig leaves, then let sit for a good hour or two, preferably overnight.
Transfer the milk and leaves to a blender and process until smooth. There will be fibers present, so push the mixture through a sieve to remove them. Using a balloon whisk or an electric mixer, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until thick and creamy.
Return the milk mixture in a clean saucepan and bring almost to a boil. As soon as it starts bubbling, pour it into the eggs and sugar and mix until smooth. Stir in the kefir, then cool well. Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and churn until almost frozen. Gradually add some or all of the icing sugar to taste.
If you don't have a machine, pour into a plastic freezer box , cover tightly and freeze for two hours. Remove from the freezer, fold the edges of the fig leaf mixture into the liquid medium - they will be slightly frozen - then cover and return to the freezer. Repeat this process of stirring and freezing three or four more times, until frozen. What stirring does is ensure a creamier texture, less than is possible with a machine, but a step above by simply letting the mixture freeze.
Gin de Damson aromatic 004cc9568038" data -spacefinder-role="inline" data-spacefinder-type="model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement" class="dcr-10khgmf">
I'm at the top of the rickety ladder, my head buried in the fig tree, its leaves spread out like the hands of a giant. It's my annual race with the blackbirds to get to the ripest fruit. This year, the fruit is burrata-sized and just as tender, its gelatinous flesh richer and sweeter than anything I've experienced since the tree was first planted 20 years ago. The rest of the garden might be as crispy as crispy pork, but the 2022 heat wave was good for my ficus and its crop.
It would be rude to be too s to mix in fruit as perfect as this one. Most will be eaten as is, the green and purple scoops stacked on an oval platter and brought to the table for all to laugh with abandon. But I also stop to break some of the smaller leaves. I need it to decorate a plate of white goat cheese, but especially to make ice cream. I've made a pale, milky ice cream with fruit and leaves before, but this time I want to use kefir instead of some of the milk, to make an ice cream that's less sweet and has more of the spirit of the ice cream. 'tree. Sweetness is something that can dilute the true flavor of any ice cream, but especially the more elusive apricot or fig.
What gives ice creams the fig leaf their subtle and extraordinary flavor is the milk sap contained in the leaves. In small quantities, it is as green and fragrant as freshly mown grass, but in large quantities, it exudes bitterness, hence the need to remove the milky stems. It's this sap that will cause your custard to curdle, but it still does a little, so skip the grainy mess and continue mixing it into a smooth green paste. The finished ice cream is thankfully unsweetened, but taste it as it churns, adding a little icing sugar to taste.
It's also the week of the year I make a batch of damson gin. A sweet and deep ruby liqueur to guide me through cold winter nights. This time a few aromatics came in along with the fruit, gin and sugar. A sprinkle of green cardamom pods and coriander seeds added a little extra warmth to my favorite winter drink.
Fig leaf and kefir milk ice creamI I've made versions of this ice cream since my fig tree came of age, but this year's one, with the addition of kefir, is new and seems an improvement over my previous versions. It's a good idea not to include any of the thick stems, as the milky sap they contain can cause the milk to curdle. (You may see some when you add the leaves to your milk, but don't worry, it disappears in the blender.) It's important to use very fresh milk. Serves 6
fig leaves 50 g without stems whole milk 500 ml yolks 6 caster sugar 100 g kefir 300 ml icing sugar 5 càs (optional)
Wash the fig leaves (don't skip this step, even if they look clean), then thinly slice them using a big knife. Pour the milk into a small saucepan and bring the milk almost to a boil. As the bubbles start to rise around the edges, add the shredded fig leaves, then let sit for a good hour or two, preferably overnight.
Transfer the milk and leaves to a blender and process until smooth. There will be fibers present, so push the mixture through a sieve to remove them. Using a balloon whisk or an electric mixer, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until thick and creamy.
Return the milk mixture in a clean saucepan and bring almost to a boil. As soon as it starts bubbling, pour it into the eggs and sugar and mix until smooth. Stir in the kefir, then cool well. Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and churn until almost frozen. Gradually add some or all of the icing sugar to taste.
If you don't have a machine, pour into a plastic freezer box , cover tightly and freeze for two hours. Remove from the freezer, fold the edges of the fig leaf mixture into the liquid medium - they will be slightly frozen - then cover and return to the freezer. Repeat this process of stirring and freezing three or four more times, until frozen. What stirring does is ensure a creamier texture, less than is possible with a machine, but a step above by simply letting the mixture freeze.
Gin de Damson aromatic 004cc9568038" data -spacefinder-role="inline" data-spacefinder-type="model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement" class="dcr-10khgmf">What's Your Reaction?
