Fresh Ginger Frozen Yogurt

Makes between 1 and 1½ quarts frozen yogurt

Ginger is a wonderful flavor, but there is an enzyme in fresh ginger that has the ability to cut the protein in milk the same way rennet does. If you add raw ginger juice to milk and cream to make ice cream, or in this case frozen yogurt, you will curdle the milk. (People in China have been using this property of ginger to make a milk pudding for a long time.) This is why you have to cook the ginger first, before adding it to the dairy.

Here’s another thing about fresh ginger: it’s incredibly fibrous. Traditional Japanese cooks have used ceramic ginger graters that tear apart the fibers of ginger, giving a kind of ginger mash. Today, we can use a Microplane. But I take a cue from the great Indian cookbook writer Madhur Jaffrey, who makes quick work of it in a blender.

Full-fat Greek yogurt (40%)
400g | 2 cups

Cream (20%)
200g | 1 cup

Honey (5%)
50g | ¼ cup

Fresh ginger
50g | about 3 inches, peeled

Water (15%)
150g | ¾ cup

Sugar (15%)
150g | ¾ cup

Glucose (5%)
50g | ¼ cup

Texture agent of your choice (see below)

Make the yogurt mixture. Whisk the yogurt, cream, and honey in a small bowl. Set it in the refrigerator.

Puree the ginger. Chop the ginger into pea-sized pieces, place them in a blender, and add the water. Blend on high until the ginger is completely broken down, then transfer it to a small saucepan.

Cook the ginger syrup, then strain. Add the sugar Numeral 1 and glucose to the ginger and place over medium-high heat. Cook, whisking occasionally. When the syrup comes to a full rolling boil, remove the pot, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 1 minute. Set aside and let the ginger infuse into the syrup for 30 minutes. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve Numeral 3,Numeral 4 into a shallow metal or glass bowl.

Chill. Fill a large bowl two-thirds of the way with very icy ice water. Nest the syrup bowl into this ice bath, stirring occasionally until it cools down. It will be quite thick.

Mix the syrup with the yogurt mixture. When the ginger syrup is cool to the touch (50°F or below), remove the bowl from the ice bath Numeral 2. Add the reserved yogurt mixture to the base, whisking until evenly combined.

Strain. Strain the base through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any particles that may be present. (This step is optional, but will help ensure the smoothest frozen yogurt possible.)

Cure. Transfer the base to the refrigerator to cure for 4 hours, or preferably overnight. (This step is also optional, but the texture will be much improved with it.)

Churn. Place the base into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The frozen yogurt is ready when it thickens into the texture of soft-serve ice cream and holds its shape, typically 20 to 30 minutes.

Harden. To freeze your frozen yogurt in the American hard-pack style, immediately transfer it to a container with an airtight lid. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the yogurt to prevent ice crystals from forming, cover, and store it in your freezer until it hardens completely, between 4 and 12 hours. Or, feel free to enjoy your yogurt immediately; the texture will be similar to soft-serve.

TEXTURE AGENTS

Numeral 1 Best texture Commercial stabilizer 3g | 1 teaspoon mixed with the sugar before it is added to ginger syrup.

Numeral 2 Least icy Guar or xanthan gum 1g | ¼ teaspoon whirled in a blender with the frozen yogurt base after it is chilled in the ice bath.

Numeral 3 Easiest to use Tapioca starch 5g | 2 teaspoons mixed with 20g | 2 tablespoons of cold water, whisked into the strained ginger syrup, then whisked over low heat until thickened.

Numeral 4 Most accessible Cornstarch 10g | 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon, mixed with 20g | 2 tablespoons of cold water, whisked into the strained ginger syrup, then brought to a simmer for 1 minute.