Ginger, Lemongrass, and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
It’s getting to the point in the winter where I’m longing – longing – for summer. Cabbage and kale, although I dearly love you, I would gladly give you up right now for a juicy peach, a purple plum, a red, ripe tomato straight from the fields…or a fresh, sweet ear of corn.
How does all of this relate to ginger, lemongrass, and vanilla bean ice cream, you ask? Well, I felt the need to drown my winter blues in something fresh and bright tasting. Something sweet and rich and comforting. Something like this ice cream. And I had big plans this past week to make Thai food (didn’t happen), which is why I had lemongrass sitting around in the fridge.
For the love of….please try to use high quality eggs, cream, and milk. And by high quality I mean not from a factory farm. Try to search out free range eggs and local milk and cream (grass-fed is really nice). They really do taste better and they are better for you, too. This recipe is adapted from one that was made many times at the French Culinary Institute’s restaurant, L’Ecole, while I was in school there.
Ingredients:
2 stalks lemongrass, very tough outer leaves removed, and sliced thinly
One 3-4 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1 liter whole milk
6 egg yolks
1 tablespoon rum
2 cups heavy cream
Ice
Special Equipment: An ice cream maker, a fine-mesh strainer
Procedure:
- In a medium pot, add the lemongrass slices, the ginger, and the vanilla bean and all of its lovely vanilla-bean contents. Pour in 3/4 cups of the sugar and the milk. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
- Turn off the heat and let the mixture steep for 30 minutes.
- Return the milk to a simmer over low heat.
- In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and the remaining 1 cup sugar. Temper the eggs by adding a small ladle-full of the hot milk mixture and stirring vigorously. Add 2-3 more ladles of the milk mixture and stir.
- Have ready a bowl of ice water and another large bowl to pour the ice cream mixture into. Set your fine-mesh strainer next to your bowls.
- Pour the milk-egg mixture back into the pot with the remainder of the milk-lemongrass-ginger mixture. Turn the heat up to medium-low, and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture coats the back of the spoon.
- Immediately pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, pushing to get all of the liquid out through the bits of lemongrass and ginger, into your waiting bowl over your other bowl of ice water.
- Stir in the rum. Let the mixture cool completely.
- Stir in the heavy cream.
- Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions, then freeze.
15 comments
katie Mar 2, 2009 at 9:04 pm
mmmm, this looks so inviting and creamy. I lack an ice cream maker and everybody is tempting me with ice cream. I would love to get started.
I love thai flavors. In SF we have a place called bombay ice cream that does great ice cream with indian flavors.
Have you ever come across a black sesame recipe?
anna Mar 2, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Oh wow, that sounds really good! I’m with you on the longing for summer. I’m having a tough time getting inspired by anything that isn’t bright and sunny. I really want an ice cream maker!
Natasha - 5 Star Foodie Mar 2, 2009 at 11:36 pm
I have got to get an ice cream maker! This ice-cream sounds just wonderful! I love the flavors of ginger and lemon grass and rum all together – yum!
Rosa Mar 3, 2009 at 12:27 am
What a great flavor combo! This ice cream looks really luscious!
Cheers,
Rosa
sara Mar 3, 2009 at 1:41 am
This looks SO yummy. I just got an ice cream maker so I will have to give it a try!!
gastroanthropologist Mar 3, 2009 at 4:46 am
I love ginger ice cream, especially with apple pie. I’m going to have to try the addition of lemongrass. I’m absolutely with you on free-range eggs and local dairy.
Daily Spud Mar 3, 2009 at 7:03 am
What wonderful flavours – just reading this makes it feel more like summer
megan Mar 3, 2009 at 10:04 am
Oh, I love the idea of Indian-flavored ice creams! Going to have to experiment with that idea! We have a place in Chinatown called the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory that has a black sesame ice cream, which is awesome. I’ve never seen an actual recipe for that, though.
I actually use the KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment. I used to have a free-standing ice cream maker, but gave it up for the KitchenAid attachment, which is great (and also saves a lot of space).
maggie (p&c) Mar 3, 2009 at 10:09 am
Yum. Would love to hear which ice cream maker everyone recommends. I don’t have a freezer large enough for the bowl at this point, so I guess I can’t have one.
megan Mar 3, 2009 at 11:38 am
Maggie, you could always get the old-fashioned crank ice cream maker! A little elbow grease is necessary, though! I had the Cuisinart free-standing ice cream maker, which I loved.
jessie Mar 3, 2009 at 3:16 pm
dear megan,
i love you.
- jlc
megan Mar 3, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Dear Jessie,
I love you too.
-mcs
sara Mar 4, 2009 at 9:15 am
Sounds like summer in a bowl…
Beautiful photo.
The Duo Dishes Mar 4, 2009 at 5:14 pm
You had us at ginger…
erin Mar 4, 2009 at 9:22 pm
i want this in my tummy.
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