Beet + Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

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SERVING SIZE:

About 1 pint of ice cream

INGREDIENTS:

9 ounces whole beets (about 3 medium), scrubbed

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves (optional if mint isn’t your thing!)

2 large egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

2 ounces dark chocolate

Kosher salt

Chocolate shavings, for garnish

Sprig of fresh mint, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil
and place them on a baking sheet. Roast the beets until they are fork-tender, 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the beets (larger beets take longer). Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, peel the beets (the skin should peel off easily under cold running water). Quarter the beets and liquefy in a blender with 2 tablespoons of the milk. Set the beet liquid aside.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the cream, remaining 1⁄2 cup milk, and mint and heat over low heat. Using the bottom of a jar or glass, muddle the mint into the milk-cream mixture to release its flavors. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until light in color and set aside. Remove the leaves from the milk- cream mixture.

3. Increase the heat to medium-low and stream a couple of tablespoons of the hot milk-cream mixture into the sugar­ egg mixture, whisking continuously. Pour the sugar-egg mixture into the pot with the hot milk-cream mixture to make a custard. Stir continuously until it thickens and turns a pale yellow, about 10 minutes. Do not let the custard boil. The custard is ready when it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and pour into a large bowl to let cool slightly.

4. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Stir the melted chocolate into the custard, then stir the beet liquid in.

5. Place the chocolate-beet ice cream base into an airtight container or your ice cream maker’s canister, covered with a lid or plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, at least a couple of hours or up to overnight.

6. In your ice cream maker, churn the ice cream base according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Store finished ice cream in the freezer; transfer it to the fridge 15 to 20 minutes before serving to soften it a bit. Garnish with chocolate shavings and a sprig of mint.

Excerpted from the book THE GEFILTE MANIFESTO by Jeffrey Yoskowitz & Liz Alpern. Copyright © 2016 by Gefilte Manifesto LLC. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books. All rights reserved. Photography by Lauren Volo.