Rhubarb Ice Cream
Makes: About 5 cups/1.2 liters
This dense and creamy ice cream has the true flavor of rhubarb, and here’s why: Rhubarb purée makes a subtle, slightly tangy ice cream base but could never be identified as rhubarb on its own. Instead, swirling part of the rhubarb purée into the spun ice cream not only gives the pale pink base little splotches of beautiful color, it also gives it the incomparable rhubarb flavor. Cooking the rhubarb with the sugar until most of the watery juices are concentrated both adds intensity of flavor and keeps the ice cream from becoming icy.
Ice Cream Base
| unsalted butter | 64 grams | 4½ tablespoons (½ stick plus ½ tablespoon) |
| rhubarb, preferably red (see Scoops) | 850 grams | about 2 pounds |
| sugar | 275 grams | 1¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons, divided |
| fine sea salt | . | a pinch |
| 6 (to 9) large egg yolks | 112 grams | ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons (104 ml) |
| glucose or reduced corn syrup | 28 grams | 4 teaspoons (20 ml) |
| milk | 136 grams | ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (133 ml) |
| heavy cream | 387 grams | 1⅔ cups (394 ml), divided |
* About 1 hour ahead, cut the butter into four pieces and set it on the counter at room temperature (65° to 75°F/18° to 24°C).
Make the Rhubarb Purée
1) Trim off and discard the leaves and the wider part of the base of the rhubarb and cut the stalks into ½ inch pieces. Stalks that are wider than ¾ inch should be sliced in half. Weigh out 681 grams/1½ pounds (about 6 cups).
2) Set the rhubarb pieces in a large skillet. Sprinkle with 150 grams/¾ cup of the sugar and the salt and allow the rhubarb to sit for about 15 minutes, or until the sugar is moistened and mostly dissolved.
3) Cover and simmer the rhubarb on low heat for about 10 minutes (6 minutes if using frozen rhubarb), or until the rhubarb softens completely. Raise the heat to medium and continue cooking, uncovered, for about 10 minutes more, stirring constantly, to concentrate the juices and reduce the purée to 390 grams/about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons/267 ml. (When most of the juices have evaporated, turn down the heat to low.)
4) Scrape the mixture into two bowls, dividing it into 260 grams/¾ cup/177 ml for the ice cream base and 130 grams/¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons/89 ml for the swirl. Cover the rhubarb for the swirl and refrigerate it.
Make the Rhubarb Ice Cream
* Have ready a fine-mesh strainer suspended over a medium bowl.
5) In a medium saucepan, with a silicone spatula, stir together the egg yolks, butter, and glucose until well blended. Stir in the rhubarb purée for the base, the milk, and 155 grams/⅔ cup/158 ml of the cream.
6) Heat the mixture on medium-low, stirring constantly, until it just about begins to bubble. (The acidity of the rhubarb prevents the mixture from curdling.) An instant-read thermometer should read 170° to 180°F/77° to 82°C.
7) Immediately pour the mixture into the strainer, scraping up the thickened mixture that has settled on the bottom of the pan. Press it through the strainer and scrape any mixture clinging to the underside into the bowl.
8) Whisk in the remaining sugar (125 grams/½ cup plus 2 tablespoons), and then the remaining cream (232 grams/1 cup/237 ml). Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours or until no warmer than 43°F/6°C. (Alternatively, cool in an ice water bath.) Set a covered storage container in the freezer.
9) Churn the rhubarb custard in a prechilled ice cream maker. Transfer the ice cream to the chilled container in 3 or 4 layers, alternating with little dollops of the purée and using a small metal spatula or spoon to swirl the purée slightly in between each layer. Press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the ice cream, cover the container, and allow the ice cream to firm in the freezer for at least 4 hours before serving.
Store
Covered storage container: frozen, 3 days
Scoops
* Red rhubarb and green rhubarb can be used interchangeably, but the red offers a more beautiful color.
* It is easiest to slice rhubarb by stacking two stalks, rib sides down.
* Rhubarb freezes well for many months. To keep its color and texture, it is best to sprinkle the sliced rhubarb with about 25 grams/2 tablespoons of sugar for 454 grams/1 pound of rhubarb (5% by weight). Allow it to thaw until the rhubarb pieces can be separated easily before cooking. Remember to remove the extra sugar from the recipe!