posted by Sisko 05-14-101 11:58 AM
Strawberry and Balsamic Ice Cream with Sweet Strawberry and Mint Salsa
(From Sainsbury’s The Magazine May 1996)
Serves 8-10
The addition of balsamico to dairy products like ice cream and ice cream tempers the richness and adds a subtle flavour. Couple this with its affinity with strawberries and you have something in this ice cream that is both exquisite and unique. This is great party dessert and you can test your guest on whether they recognise the hidden ingredient.
1 lb (450g) strawberries
2 fl oz (55 ml) balsamic vinegar
4 oz (110 g) granulated sugar
15 fl oz (42 ml) whipping cream
For the salsa:
9 oz (250 g) strawberries
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp molasses sugar
1x15 g packet fresh mint – 1 tablespoon chopped, rest for decoration
You’ll need a 2 lb (900 g) loaf tin, measuring 7 1/4 x 4 1/2 x 3 1/2 in deep (19 x 11 x 9 cm deep), lined with cling film
First of all, roughly chop the strawberries and place them into a bowl, sprinkle with the balsamic vinegar, stir well and leave them to marinate for appr. 30 mins.
Whilst the strawberries are marinating, make the sugar syrup: Place the granulated sugar and 2 fl oz (55 ml) water in a small saucepan. Put it onto gentle heat and allow the sugar to dissolve completely, stirring from time to time – it should take appr. 5-6 mins. When there are no sugar granules left, let the syrup reach the simmering point and simmer very gently for a further 5 minutes.
Now whiz the prepared strawberries and the sugar syrup together in a food processor until you have a smooth purée. Then, strain the purée through a nylon sieve (metal ones tend to discolour) into a bowl to extract the seeds.
Next, mix the purée with the whipping cream and either put the whole lot into an ice cream maker to freeze churn, or if you don’t have one, you need to put the mixture into a shallow polythene box measuring 8x8x21/2 in (20x20x6 cm), cover with a lid and pop into the freezer for about 3 hours. Time is not precise as freezers vary. You’ll need a mixture that is half frozen; the edges will be frozen but the centre is still soft.
At this stage, remove from freezer and, using the electric hand whisk, beat the frozen bit into the soft bits until you get a uniform texture. Then cover and freeze again, by which time it will ba almost completely frozen. Now, give it a second whisk and the ice cream is ready.
Whether you’re using an ice cream machine or a hand whisk, now is the time to fold in the rest of the (sliced) strawberries by hand, then pack into the loaf tin. Then cover and freeze till needed.
2 hours before serving, remove the ice cream into the refrigerator. Then to serve, turn it flat around on a flat board, remove the clingfilm and cut into slices , garnishing each slice with salsa.
To make the salsa, chop the strawberries into tiny, even-sized pieces. Then gently heat the balsamico in a small pan, add the molasses sugar and heat gently until all sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, allow to cool, then combine the strawberries, chopped mint and balsamic mixture and serve. Garnish with a sprig of mint.