STICKY BLACK RICE ICE CREAM
When Ben and I were in Bali, we fell so hard for the island’s native sweet, sticky black rice, we’d indulge in it twice a day. It was the most amazing treat: In some cases, the rice was cooked in coconut milk, while in others, a glorious, sweet syrup was poured over the rice tableside. The black rice we use is also called “purple rice” or “forbidden rice.” According to some legends, the rice was thought to be so nutritious it was considered worthy enough only, and reserved, for royalty.
When we got back to the States, we couldn’t stop thinking about that incredible flavor. We thought the black rice would lend itself beautifully to ice cream, and began serving it at Selamat Pagi—it was an instant hit. It’s a tricky flavor to nail down because of the starch, so we were happy to have a chance to further perfect the recipe for this book.
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART
FOR THE STICKY BLACK RICE
½ cup (68 grams) sticky black rice, also known as forbidden rice
Pinch of kosher salt
1 cup (212 grams) coconut milk, preferably organic and without stabilizers
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (135 grams) palm sugar (see Sources)
FOR THE ICE CREAM BASE
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
¼ teaspoon (1 gram) kosher salt
6 large egg yolks
1. To make the sticky black rice, in a medium saucepan, combine the rice, salt, and 2 cups water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the coconut milk and sugar, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the water is mostly absorbed and the rice is soft and gooey; this can take anywhere from 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. You are looking for a loose rice pudding consistency. Measure out ¾ cup of the cooked rice for the ice cream and set aside (see Ben's Notes for what to do with the remaining rice).
2. To make the coconut ice cream base, pour the cream and milk into a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water). Whisk in ¾ cup (150 grams) of the sugar and the salt and stir until both have dissolved. Warm the mixture until you see steam rising from the top.
3. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and set another bowl over it. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, with a kitchen towel underneath it to prevent slipping, whisk together the egg yolks with the remaining ¼ cup (50 grams) sugar until uniform. While whisking, add a splash of the hot dairy mixture to the yolks. Continue to add the dairy mixture, whisking it in bit by bit, until you’ve added about half. Add the yolk mixture to the remaining dairy mixture in the double boiler. Set the heat under the double boiler to medium and cook the custard, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon and reducing the heat to medium-low as necessary, until steam begins to rise from the surface and the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Hold the spoon horizontally and run your finger through the custard. If the trail left by your finger stays separated, the custard is ready to be cooled.
5. Strain the custard into the bowl sitting over the prepared ice bath and stir for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the custard has cooled. Stir in the reserved ¾ cup sticky black rice. Transfer the custard to a quart-size container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or, preferably, overnight.
6. Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place the container in which you refrigerated the custard in the freezer so you can use it to store the finished ice cream. Churn the ice cream until the texture resembles “soft serve.” Transfer the ice cream to the chilled storage container and freeze until hardened to your desired consistency. Alternatively, you can serve it immediately—it will be the consistency of gelato. The ice cream will keep, frozen, for up to 7 days.
ben’s notes While black rice might not be easily available at regular grocery stores, we’ve found that health food stores, as well as Whole Foods, tend to have it in stock. Black rice—not to be confused with wild rice, which is also black in color, but isn’t even technically a rice—has a unique, earthy-sweet flavor all its own. It’s worth seeking out and worth having in your pantry.
You’ll have more sticky rice than needed for this ice cream, but that’s a good thing. We love to take the remaining rice and serve it warm with coconut milk sweetened with palm sugar, and topped with sliced mango and coconut flakes—it makes an amazing Bali-style breakfast!