1 cup sugar
1 cup hot water
Mix and heat until all the sugar dissolves.
Per Mark Bittman, can remain refrigerated indefinitely.
I use this in sorbet and in ice cream I do not heat.
This is also
very useful for iced tea.
Friday, 21 June 2013
Mango Ice Cream
1 cup sugar syrup
150 ml single cream
150 ml double cream
Thaw mango.
Add sugar syrup and puree in a blender or with an immersion blender. You might like your ice cream with some chunks in it -- that's how I like this best -- or mostly smooth.
(Sometimes the chunks are not thawed enough for me to blend easily. I will sometimes heat them up a little on the stove if needed, but then extra time is required for cooling.)
Add creams.
Use ice cream maker per instructions.
Enjoy!
Delia's Ginger Ice Cream (adapted)
This is some of the most decadent ice cream I've ever had.
I started with this recipe as a starting point: http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/summer-desserts/ice-cream/ginger-ice-cream.html
I do not beat the double cream -- it doesn't need it. That step might be more important if you're not using an ice cream maker.
Cornflour (cornstarch) is a wonderful and helpful thing in custards; it means no worries about over-cooking. If you don't like cornflour or are allergic to it, simply make a custard as normal, being careful not to over-cook. (I'll try to do another entry on custards.)
300 ml single cream
300 ml double cream
4 egg yolks
25 g caster (superfine) sugar
2 tsps cornflour (even 1/4 tsp has worked in other recipes)
a few drops - 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract
ginger as directed, or 100 g glace ginger
Heat the single cream slowly until it is just boiling. While heating, beat together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornflour until light yellow and smooth.
Pour a little of the cream into the egg yolk mixture and beat together. Add the rest.
Put the cream/egg/sugar/cornflour mix back into the pan and heat, stirring, until just boiling again. (The cornstarch means you don't have to worry about it if it starts out looking a bit like scrambled eggs -- just keep stirring and cooking and it will smooth out.)
Remove from heat; transfer to a glass bowl or pan. Put that bowl or pan into another bowl or pan full of cold water to cool. When room temperature, place first bowl in the refrigerator until cold.
If using glace ginger: Put in a saucepan with 2-4 tbs (30-60 ml) water; heat to boiling. Allow to cool.
Once everything is cold, combine custard, double cream, ginger and ginger syrup (or glace ginger and liquid), and vanilla extract.
Place in ice cream maker according to directions.
Enjoy!
I started with this recipe as a starting point: http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/summer-desserts/ice-cream/ginger-ice-cream.html
I do not beat the double cream -- it doesn't need it. That step might be more important if you're not using an ice cream maker.
Cornflour (cornstarch) is a wonderful and helpful thing in custards; it means no worries about over-cooking. If you don't like cornflour or are allergic to it, simply make a custard as normal, being careful not to over-cook. (I'll try to do another entry on custards.)
300 ml single cream
300 ml double cream
4 egg yolks
25 g caster (superfine) sugar
2 tsps cornflour (even 1/4 tsp has worked in other recipes)
a few drops - 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract
ginger as directed, or 100 g glace ginger
Heat the single cream slowly until it is just boiling. While heating, beat together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornflour until light yellow and smooth.
Pour a little of the cream into the egg yolk mixture and beat together. Add the rest.
Put the cream/egg/sugar/cornflour mix back into the pan and heat, stirring, until just boiling again. (The cornstarch means you don't have to worry about it if it starts out looking a bit like scrambled eggs -- just keep stirring and cooking and it will smooth out.)
Remove from heat; transfer to a glass bowl or pan. Put that bowl or pan into another bowl or pan full of cold water to cool. When room temperature, place first bowl in the refrigerator until cold.
If using glace ginger: Put in a saucepan with 2-4 tbs (30-60 ml) water; heat to boiling. Allow to cool.
Once everything is cold, combine custard, double cream, ginger and ginger syrup (or glace ginger and liquid), and vanilla extract.
Place in ice cream maker according to directions.
Enjoy!
Mango Sorbet
If you like mango, this is divine.
1 450-g bag of frozen mango chunks from Sainsburys
1/2-1 cup of sugar syrup*
(optional: 1 tsp lemon juice)
Edited to add: this is extra-divine with a tsp of lime juice.
* 1 cup sugar to 2 cups hot water; heat until all the sugar dissolves. Per Mark Bittman, can remain refrigerated indefinitely. This is also very useful for iced tea.
Thaw mango chunks.
Add 1/2 cup sugar syrup.
Puree in a blender or using an immersion blender. How fine to puree it is up to you -- we discovered we like it better with some chunks of mango remaining.
Taste. Add more sugar syrup if necessary. It's all right if it tastes just a bit too sweet; it will taste slightly less sweet when frozen.
Add to ice cream maker per instructions.
Eat some; freeze the rest.
When serving: if the sorbet is not soft when frozen, let it warm up in the refrigerator for about half an hour before serving.
Ta-da!
Enjoy.
1 450-g bag of frozen mango chunks from Sainsburys
1/2-1 cup of sugar syrup*
(optional: 1 tsp lemon juice)
Edited to add: this is extra-divine with a tsp of lime juice.
* 1 cup sugar to 2 cups hot water; heat until all the sugar dissolves. Per Mark Bittman, can remain refrigerated indefinitely. This is also very useful for iced tea.
Thaw mango chunks.
Add 1/2 cup sugar syrup.
Puree in a blender or using an immersion blender. How fine to puree it is up to you -- we discovered we like it better with some chunks of mango remaining.
Taste. Add more sugar syrup if necessary. It's all right if it tastes just a bit too sweet; it will taste slightly less sweet when frozen.
Add to ice cream maker per instructions.
Eat some; freeze the rest.
When serving: if the sorbet is not soft when frozen, let it warm up in the refrigerator for about half an hour before serving.
Ta-da!
Enjoy.
Monday, 17 June 2013
Risotto with pine nuts and sultanas
Sorbet and I make risotto quite often -- it's a wonderful, relatively quick dish. I don't understand why risotto has a reputation of being difficult; yes, it is 25 minutes of stirring, but it is completely and totally worth the effort.
What makes this dish possible, however, is our Wonder Pot -- we have a huge, deep, heavy-bottomed nonstick chef pan. I'm pretty sure this is it. It is a perfect pan for risotto, and I have never yet managed to get it to stick at all.
This is based on a recipe from Paola Gavin's vegetarian Italian cookbook, but modified by us over the years.
2 cups arborio rice
1 quart stock -- a nice chicken stock gives this a wonderful flavour and richness, but a good vegetable stock also makes a lovely, lighter, dish. The stock really makes the dish -- with water only it's just not the same.
3-4 T olive oil
3 small or two large shallots, chopped fairly small but not slivered
1 clove garlic, peeled
Generous handful of parsley, chopped
1/2 c. sultanas
1/4 c. pine nuts
3/4 c. fresh grated parmesan or romano (Sorbet likes romano better)
1-2 T butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring the stock to a simmer; while it is coming to a boil saute the shallots in olive oil over medium heat. When shallots begin to brown add pressed garlic, after about 10 seconds add the parsley.
Turn heat to high. Add the rice and saute briefly. Add one ladleful of stock; stir until liquid is absorbed. Add pine nuts, sultanas, and another ladleful of stock. Continue adding stock one ladleful at a time and stirring until rice absorbs the liquid. Overall you will cook the rice for about 25 minutes; it will develop a wonderful creamy texture, and be just a bit past al dente. The rice gets significantly more difficult to stir about 2 minutes before it's done.
Take the risotto off the heat. Add butter, grated cheese, and several good grindings of black pepper, and stir to mix. I usually don't salt it until I serve because the cheese makes it fairly salty already.
This is not quite a half hour meal, but maybe a 35 minute dish from start to finish that is substantial enough you won't feel cheated at all if you decide to make a one-dish meal.
What makes this dish possible, however, is our Wonder Pot -- we have a huge, deep, heavy-bottomed nonstick chef pan. I'm pretty sure this is it. It is a perfect pan for risotto, and I have never yet managed to get it to stick at all.
This is based on a recipe from Paola Gavin's vegetarian Italian cookbook, but modified by us over the years.
2 cups arborio rice
1 quart stock -- a nice chicken stock gives this a wonderful flavour and richness, but a good vegetable stock also makes a lovely, lighter, dish. The stock really makes the dish -- with water only it's just not the same.
3-4 T olive oil
3 small or two large shallots, chopped fairly small but not slivered
1 clove garlic, peeled
Generous handful of parsley, chopped
1/2 c. sultanas
1/4 c. pine nuts
3/4 c. fresh grated parmesan or romano (Sorbet likes romano better)
1-2 T butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring the stock to a simmer; while it is coming to a boil saute the shallots in olive oil over medium heat. When shallots begin to brown add pressed garlic, after about 10 seconds add the parsley.
Turn heat to high. Add the rice and saute briefly. Add one ladleful of stock; stir until liquid is absorbed. Add pine nuts, sultanas, and another ladleful of stock. Continue adding stock one ladleful at a time and stirring until rice absorbs the liquid. Overall you will cook the rice for about 25 minutes; it will develop a wonderful creamy texture, and be just a bit past al dente. The rice gets significantly more difficult to stir about 2 minutes before it's done.
Take the risotto off the heat. Add butter, grated cheese, and several good grindings of black pepper, and stir to mix. I usually don't salt it until I serve because the cheese makes it fairly salty already.
This is not quite a half hour meal, but maybe a 35 minute dish from start to finish that is substantial enough you won't feel cheated at all if you decide to make a one-dish meal.
Sunday, 16 June 2013
Baked salmon with asparagus and parsleyed new potatoes
This is supposed to be a blog about ice cream, but for some silly reason I've decided that the first post should be a delicious quick meal that Sorbet and I made the other night. We always struggle a bit to find good weeknight meals, and we will definitely return to this one while asparagus remains in season.
Take two salmon filets, put a crushed clove of garlic on each, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 170 C for 15 minutes or until done.
Boil 500 grams new potatoes for 20 minutes. Drain, return to pan, and saute in butter over medium heat with 1/4 cup chopped parsley for 2-3 minutes.
Toast 1/4 cup pine nuts briefly in heavy bottomed pot. Cut asparagus to 1 1/2 inch lengths, and saute in olive oil over medium high heat with kosher salt and pine nuts until asparagus is dark green and just tender. Do not overcook.
Take two salmon filets, put a crushed clove of garlic on each, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 170 C for 15 minutes or until done.
Boil 500 grams new potatoes for 20 minutes. Drain, return to pan, and saute in butter over medium heat with 1/4 cup chopped parsley for 2-3 minutes.
Toast 1/4 cup pine nuts briefly in heavy bottomed pot. Cut asparagus to 1 1/2 inch lengths, and saute in olive oil over medium high heat with kosher salt and pine nuts until asparagus is dark green and just tender. Do not overcook.
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