Ice Cream Isolation
‘Sheltering in place’ gives me time to do useful things like watch videos on Instagram. A Frenchman in a pirate shirt basting asparagus catches my attention, then someone’s thumb shaping orecchiette pasta. The ‘stories’ roll on until I see Mimi Thorrison’s daughter holding a bowl of saffron ice cream. I wonder if I can get through lockdown without my own tub. I can’t. I put an ice cream maker into my Amazon cart then tack on a pasta roller.
A masked man pushes a box onto our doorstep. I yell, "the ice cream maker is here!" The children clamber over the box and my son cheers, “let’s make Mint Chip!” My daughter counters, “no, Bubblegum!” The little one presses buttons off and on. I say we’ll make them all, but first, Saffron. The recipe, adapted from Sweet Middle East by Anissa Helou, uses cornstarch instead of an egg custard base. It comes out silky-smooth and is much easier to make than the custard sort. The saffron flavour is delicate and addictive. This is a lovely ice cream. My daughter says it tastes like cardboard but that’s because she’s not sophisticated like Mimi’s children.
She plans to open an ice cream stand serving flavors like ‘Unicorn Party’ and ‘Unicorn’s Garden’ this summer. I tell her it sounds like a lot of work. She assures me she doesn’t mind. I’m eager to try a recipe for cucumber sorbet from one of my favourite cookbooks, British Columbia from Scratch by Denise Marchessault. My enthusiasm has everything to do with her suggestion to dump gin over the top.
Saffron Ice Cream - recipe adapted from Sweet Middle East by Anissa Helou
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
Teaspoon saffron threads
Pinch of sea salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon orange blossom water or rose water
1/3 cup pistachios (optional)
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with 1/2 cup milk. Pour 1/4 cup milk into a small saucepan and heat until very warm but not boiling. Crush saffron threads between fingers and put into warm milk along with salt and let sit for 20 minutes.
Pour remaining 1 1/4 cup milk into saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Whisk in cornstarch mixture. Continue whisking until mixture boils and thickens. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add sugar and whisk until completely dissolved - about 8 minutes.
Remove mixture form heat and transfer to bowl. Whisk in sour cream, heavy cream and rose water (I made my own rose water from dried petals I had and found 1.5 teaspoons was right. Concentration of flavour can vary so start small and taste test).
Cover with tea towel and let cool completely, whisking every 5 minutes or so so skin doesn’t form on the top.
Once cooled cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the mixture. Place in fridge to chill completely - at least 3 hours.
Transfer mixture to ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to airtight container and put in the freezer to harden. Serve with chopped pistachios if you like.