In Southeast Asia, avocado is often served as a dessert, typically over shaved ice and sweetened evaporated milk, and in the Philippines, avocado ice cream is not uncommon, either. This flavor was the brainchild of our head of production, Jane, whose Vietnamese roots often bring us delightful and exotic treats. We loved the idea of combining these two complementary flavors. Avocados’ natural creaminess and fat content are a perfect canvas for ice cream and yield a sumptuous texture that is a perfect pairing for coconut.
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Immersion blender
1½ cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (125 grams) sugar
1 plump vanillla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
¼ teaspoon (1 gram) kosher salt
6 large egg yolks
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons mashed avocado (from about 1 avocado)
¼ cup sweetened coconut or unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted
1. 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 ½ cup (100 grams) of the sugar, the vanilla bean seeds and pod, and the salt, and stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Warm the mixture until you see steam rising from the top.
2. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, with a kitchen towel underneath it to prevent slipping, whisk together the egg yolks with the remaining 2 tablespoons (25 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.
4. Strain the custard into a bowl and add the avocado. Using an immersion blender, buzz the mixture until smooth and emulsified; stir in the coconut flakes. Set the bowl over the prepared ice bath and stir for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the custard has cooled. Transfer the custard to a quart-size container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or, preferably, overnight.
5. 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.