CURRIED NUTS WITH SALTED CARAMEL SWIRL ICE CREAM
This flavor is the result of a collaboration between our ice cream company and Selamat Pagi, our Balinese restaurant in Greenpoint. Our ice cream headquarters are in the back of the restaurant, and one day we were snacking on some vanilla ice cream and saw a bowl of Selamat’s curried nuts sitting around. On a whim, we threw the nuts into the ice cream and took a spoonful. And immediately, we knew this had to become its own special flavor.
We serve the spiced, caramelized nuts at the restaurant as a bar snack; they are dangerously addictive and go perfectly with a cold lager. But, as you can see below, the ingredient list for the nuts alone goes on and on. In fact, when Bon Appétit magazine came to us asking to feature this ice cream in their August 2014 issue, they were surprised to get such a long recipe. We told them the same thing we’re telling you now: That time and effort? Totally worth it.
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART
FOR THE ICE CREAM BASE
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (125 grams) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon (1 gram) kosher salt
8 large egg yolks
FOR THE CURRIED NUTS
6 tablespoons (45 grams) unrefined palm sugar
½ teaspoon (2 grams) brown rice syrup
2 teaspoons (5 grams) whole coriander seeds
2 teaspoons (2 grams) whole black peppercorns, or preferably long pepper, if you can find it
5 teaspoons (20 grams) kosher salt
2½ teaspoons (5 grams) ground ginger
2½ teaspoons (5 grams) ground cinnamon
2½ teaspoons (5 grams) ground turmeric
2 teaspoons (4 grams) cayenne pepper
1 cup (150 grams) unsalted raw peanuts
⅓ cup (40 grams) slivered unsalted raw almonds
¼ cup (32 grams) chopped unsalted raw walnuts
¼ cup (32 grams) chopped unsalted raw pecans
¼ cup (40 grams) unsalted raw pepitas
¼ cup (40 grams) unsalted raw sunflower seeds
FOR THE SALTED CARAMEL
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
¾ cup heavy cream
1¼ teaspoons (1 gram) flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
1. To make the 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 granulated sugar and the salt and stir until they have dissolved. Warm the mixture until you see steam rising from the top.
2. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and set another bowl over it. 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) granulated 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 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.
5. To make the curried nuts, preheat the oven to 350˚F; position a rack in the middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. In a small saucepan, combine the palm sugar with 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water and stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the brown rice syrup and set the simple syrup aside.
7. In a small, dry skillet, combine the coriander and black pepper and toast over low heat until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately transfer to a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle; finely grind the spices and place in a small bowl. Add the salt, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, and cayenne and whisk thoroughly to combine. Set the spice blend aside.
8. In large skillet, combine the peanuts, almonds, walnuts, and pecans and toast over medium heat, stirring or tossing continuously to ensure even toasting, until fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. (The toasting time will depend on how powerful your burner is, so always navigate this part by your nose, rather than by the cooking time.)
9. Stir the spice mixture into the toasted nuts, and then add the pepitas and sunflower seeds; stir to combine. Add the simple syrup and stir to evenly distribute.
10. Spread the nut mixture on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the nuts are fragrant. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool completely before using in ice cream or enjoying as a snack.
11. To make the salted caramel, place the granulated sugar in a deep, heavy saucepan. Stir continuously and break up the lumps—this will help the sugar caramelize evenly. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring with a spatula to dissolve the sugar, then simmer, without stirring, until the caramel turns the color of a copper penny (or an Irish setter), about 4 minutes. If, while the caramel cooks, any sugar crystallizes on the sides of the pan, brush the sides down with a clean, wet pastry brush. Reduce the heat to low, and slowly add the heavy cream (the caramel will rise and bubble and might spit, so be careful); stir until the heavy cream is incorporated. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt. Should the caramel seize and harden, return the mixture to the heat and stir until it softens. Remove from the heat and set aside.
12. To assemble the ice cream, 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 ⅔ cup of the curried nuts and ½ cup of the caramel so both ingredients are well 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. The ice cream will keep, frozen, for up to 7 days. You can use the remaining curried nuts and salted caramel as toppings, or save them for another batch of ice cream. The nuts will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 1 week; the salted caramel will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 1 week.
ben’s note This batch makes spiced nuts that are aggressively salty and—upon first taste—may seem a bit overseasoned. However, when you combine the nuts with the sweet base and salted caramel, the nuts off er some counterbalance. If, however, you still find the salt to be a bit much, simply scale it back to your perfect amount.