SICHUAN PEPPERCORN WITH CHERRY COMPOTE ICE CREAM
This is a great seasonal flavor to highlight some of our greenmarkets’ finest offerings—cherries. It may seem strange to add peppercorns to ice cream, but the flavors (cherry and pepper) pair exceptionally well, particularly the fragrant, slightly floral Sichuan peppercorns we use to infuse the base. At the end of churning, we pair the ice cream with sweet cherry compote. The bite of the peppercorns cuts through the sugar, and gives the ice cream an unexpected and grown-up taste. When working with fruit, keep in mind that both sugar and alcohol deter ice crystallization. You’ll notice we add sugar and alcohol to some of our compotes and macerations. Without these, as ice cream freezes, the fruit, which is mostly water, would become hard and icy.
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART
FOR THE CHERRY COMPOTE
2 cups (350 grams) cherries, preferably sour cherries, pitted and halved
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
FOR THE SICHUAN PEPPERCORN ICE CREAM
2 cups heavy cream
1¼ cups whole milk
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (125 grams) sugar
2 tablespoons (8 grams) Sichuan peppercorns, cracked
¼ teaspoon (1 gram) kosher salt
6 large egg yolks
1. To make the cherry compote, in a medium saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar, and salt and cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the juices released by the cherries come to a simmer. Skim any foam that forms on the surface; reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the syrup thickens and the fruit softens and slumps, about 30 minutes. Transfer the compote to a jar and set aside. The compote can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in the refrigerator; you will need ¼ cup for this recipe.
2. To make the Sichuan peppercorn ice cream, pour the cream and milk into a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water). Whisk in ½ cup (100 grams) of the sugar, the peppercorns, and the salt and stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Warm the mixture until you see steam rising from the top. Remove from the heat, cover, and let the mixture infuse for 15 minutes. Strain the mixture into a bowl; discard the peppercorns in the strainer. Return the dairy mixture to the double boiler and warm until steam starts to rise again.
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 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.
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. 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.” Using a spatula, fold in ¼ cup of the cherry compote, along with some of its syrup, until incorporated. 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. Feel free to top your ice cream with additional cherry compote. The ice cream will keep, frozen, for up to 7 days.
The peppercorns will absorb some liquid, which is why you are adding a bit more milk to compensate.
