Just how did we all manage before the advent of the cell phone? Even beyond that, what about the Iphone, the Blackberry or the Ipad? I'm not going to try and claim that they're not amazing inventions that have revolutionised the way we communicate, but, life did happen before - people spoke to each other, made plans, arranged life events, had parties, frequently met up and even made bread and ice cream. OK, you don't exactly need an Iphone to make ice cream, but you don't need an ice cream maker either. What you do need is patience and a good, strong whisking arm.
I've wanted to try it for ages, even after many cookbook insistence's that to make really good ice cream, you really should go out and buy that $200 model that you may use once. Well, I neither buy that statement or the expensive piece of equipment. Instead I did it the old fashioned way. It took several hours of frequent whisking to shatter the ice crystals forming, but what I was rewarded with was remarkably similar to any old ice cream. Ben and Jerry's or gelato it wasn't, but it made me cough and hurt my brain and teeth very comparatively to any other.
I've wanted to try it for ages, even after many cookbook insistence's that to make really good ice cream, you really should go out and buy that $200 model that you may use once. Well, I neither buy that statement or the expensive piece of equipment. Instead I did it the old fashioned way. It took several hours of frequent whisking to shatter the ice crystals forming, but what I was rewarded with was remarkably similar to any old ice cream. Ben and Jerry's or gelato it wasn't, but it made me cough and hurt my brain and teeth very comparatively to any other.
David Lebovitz gave me the confidence to really give it a go in one of his wonderful posts; here. The catalyst of three mangoes getting softer and a trusty looking recipe: see here and I had all the necessary components. It was pretty easy to compose, the making of a custard requiring a little finesse and a decent 2 hour chilling. The mangoes were first pureed in a blender and then supposed to be pushed through a sieve, but, I just couldn't get the mixture to fall through, so I reckoned it was smooth enough already, which proved to be right.
It's the freezing that requires due care and attention. A machine would churn the mixture until light, fluffy and extremely creamy. By hand, it's a little more strenuous, stirring and mixing every 30 minutes for 3 hours until the mixture resembles a uniform, smooth mass. Some people recommend pureeing or blending every 30 minutes, either in a processor or with a hand held blender. I wanted to see what a really old fashioned approach would produce, so merely stirred with a large spoon. At the end, it was a success, even though I read the recipe wrong and didn't add enough sugar, (chocolate sauce with a liberal hand helped that) and the mangoes did have a slight chalky taste, but it was definitely a moment of achievement.
It's the freezing that requires due care and attention. A machine would churn the mixture until light, fluffy and extremely creamy. By hand, it's a little more strenuous, stirring and mixing every 30 minutes for 3 hours until the mixture resembles a uniform, smooth mass. Some people recommend pureeing or blending every 30 minutes, either in a processor or with a hand held blender. I wanted to see what a really old fashioned approach would produce, so merely stirred with a large spoon. At the end, it was a success, even though I read the recipe wrong and didn't add enough sugar, (chocolate sauce with a liberal hand helped that) and the mangoes did have a slight chalky taste, but it was definitely a moment of achievement.
One thing I would say: David Lebovitz did suggest that ice cream made this way should be eaten as soon as possible and after the chalky taste began to get more pronounced by the second day, I would have to agree.
Recipe : Mango ice cream
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 more cup of whipping cream
3 mangoes
2 tbsp sugar
Heat the 2 cups cream over medium heat in a pan until bubbles just start to form at the edges. Remove from the heat and pour into a large bowl.
In another bowl, whisk the eggs and 1/2 cup sugar until light and frothy. Pour the warmed cream on top and stir well.
Return the mixture to the pan and heat gently on low for about 12 minutes until the mixture thickens to the consistency of thick cream and coats the back of a spoon. Strain through a sieve into a bowl. Add the remaining cream and stir well. Bring to room temperature, then cover and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
Peel the mangoes and cut as much flesh as possible from around the stone. Puree the flesh with the 2 tbsp sugar until very smooth.
Add the mango puree to the chilled custard.
Pour the ice cream mixture into the dish you will be freezing it in and lightly shake the dish to allow it settle evenly.
Place the dish in the freezer and set a timer for 30 minutes.
After the first 30 minutes, the ice cream will have begun to freeze at the edges. Stir well, breaking up any large ice crystals and distributing any large frozen pieces through the mixture. Try to get it fairly smooth, then return to the freezer. Repeat this 30 minute stirring for about 4 - 5 times until the ice cream is fairly frozen and ice cream like all over. The stirring will get a little harder every time, but perseverance will result in a creamier texture.
Serve the ice cream as quickly as possible when ready, covering the dish and returning to the fridge if any is left. It's not perfect, but you made it truly from scratch, so every bite should be Heaven. (Lots of chocolate sauce helps also).
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