Silken Black Sesame Ice Cream
Makes: About 1 quart/1 liter
I’ve always enjoyed sesame paste, aka tahini, in savory dishes such as hummus or cold sesame noodles, but it wasn’t until I tasted the Lebanese sesame halva marbled with dark chocolate at Kalustyan’s, my favorite international food supply store in New York City, that it became a near addiction. So after completing the recipe testing for this book, my mind suddenly turned to “why not sesame ice cream?”
The fat content of tahini (which is 100% sesame paste) is only about 4% higher than peanut butter and much lower than praline paste. But it is much softer and silkier than either one. Be sure to soften the ice cream before serving; the nature of ground sesame seeds makes the ice cream very hard when frozen solid. Top it with a sprinkling of crumbled halva, preferably the marbled chocolate variety.
For a dramatic charcoal gray color and more intense flavor, I prefer black tahini. Beige tahini is more subtle but also delicious.
Ice Cream Base
| tahini, preferably black (see Scoops) | 155 grams | ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (150 ml) |
| 7 (to 11) large egg yolks | 130 grams | ½ cup (118 ml) |
| milk | 121 grams | ½ cup (118 ml) |
| heavy cream | 464 grams | 2 cups (473 ml), divided |
| sugar | 150 grams | ¾ cup |
| glucose or reduced corn syrup | 42 grams | 2 tablespoons (30 ml) |
| fine sea salt | . | a pinch |
* About 30 minutes ahead, stir the tahini until the oil that has separated is completely incorporated. Then weigh or measure the tahini into a medium bowl on the counter at room temperature (65° to 75°F/18° to 24°C). If the tahini has not been refrigerated, this can be done right before mixing the rest of the ingredients.
* Suspend a fine-mesh strainer over the bowl.
1) In a medium saucepan, with a silicone spatula, stir together the egg yolks, milk, and 116 grams/½ cup/118 ml of the cream until well blended. Stir in the sugar, glucose, and salt until the sugar has dissolved.
2) Heat the mixture on medium-low, stirring constantly, until slightly thicker than heavy cream. When a finger is run across the back of the spatula, it will leave a well-defined track. An instant-read thermometer should read 170° to 180°F/77° to 82°C.
3) 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 strainer.
4) Whisk the tahini into the custard mixture until well blended. Then whisk in the remaining cream (348 grams/1½ cups/355 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.
5) Churn the sesame custard in a prechilled ice cream maker. Transfer the ice cream to the chilled container. 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
* Kevala organic black tahini, made in the United States, uses 100% unhulled, lightly roasted black sesame seeds. The Roland brand from Israel uses 100% hulled, lightly roasted black sesame seeds. Both are excellent choices. Soom tahini is made with 100% roasted tan sesame seeds.
* A sprinkling of lightly toasted sesame seeds adds a delightful crunch and indicates the flavor of the ice cream.