Savoring Salted Caramel Gellato

YOU can do this,even with a little Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Maker!

I have a wonderful gelato machine from Italy and I use it to make ices and sorbets most of the time. It takes up some valuable real estate in my kitchen and I respect that by utilizing it more regularly than I would if it were in my cookware storage pantry. However, I have never liked ice cream, no not even as a kid. The people I cook for love ice cream and I love ices and sorbets, so it all works out for mutual benefit when I put my machine to work here. 

A few days ago I was talking on Facebook with a friend of mine, Candace Grover who works as floor manager at Goods for Cooks in Bloomington Indiana. The recipe Candace told me about hit a weak spot in me. I LOVE caramel, really dark rich caramel and if it has a little sea salt sprinkled on top, all the better. She had been making lots of ice creams and she felt that she had hit the jackpot with a recipe from Gourmet magazine in August 2009, Salted Carmel Ice Cream. I took that concept and ran with it because as I stated above, there is one sweet that I am totally HOT for and that is really great caramel. 

Here is the recipe as I changed it, you can of course go to Epicurious and find the original recipe by Andrea Albin. One note, I have a Gelato Machine and that mixes the ice cream/gelato a bit slower hence there is about 20% less air whipped into the final result with my machine than you would get with a traditional ice cream machine. I like that better, but the results vary from machine to machine. Many people today are dealing with the machines that you freeze a container and then pour the mix into the container. The problem here is that you must chill your mixture as much as you can and then hope that you get the appropriate freeze before the gel in the container melts (about 20 minutes.) My gelato machine chills and churns and I usually have it going for about 30 minutes before I switch to freeze only mode.

My Homemade Vanilla

Salted Caramel Ice Cream inspired by : Gourmet | August 2009

Andrea calls this as sultry and I completely agree. The recipe is based on the much loved candy that has taken American Gourmets by storm... salt caramels. The candy originated in Brittany, where of course the wonderful flaked salts come from and they are known for their dairy cows... cheeses, milk and cream. Oh heck... I think I want to go there right now... they are also famous for their oysters, but that is another story.  

 

Yield: Makes about 1 quart Active Time: 30 min Total Time: 4 hr 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided 3 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt such as Maldon (I used my Maple Smoked Hawaiian Sea Salt) 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 vanilla bean scraped clean with a knife 3 large eggs (I use those of the "Six Sassy Sisters Hen House" that my friend Janet Montrose owns.) Equipment: an ice cream maker Heat 1 cup sugar in a dry 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber. This is a real key to depth of flavor.  Add 1 1/4 cups cream (mixture will spatter) a litle bit at a time and cook, stirring, until all of caramel has dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and stir in sea salt and vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, bring remaining cream, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally.  Lightly whisk eggs in a medium bowl, then add half of hot milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil). . Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, and spoon it through the sieve, then stir in cooled caramel. Add the scraped vanilla bean into the custard, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours. Freeze custard in ice cream maker (it will still be quite soft), then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up. *note, my machine slowly cools the mixture so I skipped the chilling in the fridge, but if you have one of the machines that do not chill, you must do it in the refrigerator.

Pain à l'ancienne: A perfect rustic bread

From The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart which I have been baking from for a year now, comes pain à l'ancienne, a truly lovely bread, full of texture, delightful crumb and flavor. The secret to this bread comes in the careful handling and retarding the fermenting in a refrigerator. The dough is a wet one and not easy to shape. If you try to shape it much, you will lose the characteristic holes made by the gasses in the bread. It can however be formed into baguettes, focaccia, pizza, ciabatta, pugliese, stirao & pain rustique, all of which are favorite breads of mine. In this case I did baguettes, but I plan to use this formula over and over again in different ways. 


I have been involved with a group of food bloggers doing the Bread Bakers Apprentice Challenge for the last year. It was started when one of my favorite food bloogers, Nicole from Pinch My Salt started the challenge. The goal is to bake through the book, one formula at a time, usually once a week. This formula can be found on page 191 of the book. Mr, Reinhart explains a few important things about this bread: 


"The unique delayed-fermentation method, which depends on ice-cold water, releases flavors trapped in flour in a way different from the more traditional twelve-stage method. The final product has a natural sweetness and a nut-like character that is distinct from breads made with exactly the same ingredients but fermented in by the standard method, even with large percentages of pre-ferment. 


This bread shows us another way to manipulate time, and thus outcomes, by manipulating temperature. The cold mixing and fermentation cycles delay the activation of the yeast until after the amylase enzymes have begun their work of breaking out sugar from starch. When the dough is brought to room temperature, and the yeast wakes up and begins feasting, it feeds on sugars that weren't there the day before. Because the yeast has converted less of the released sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide, a reserve of sugar remains in the fermented dough to flavor it and caramelize the crust during the baking cycle. While this delayed fermentation method does not work for every dough (especially those that are enriched with sugar and other flavor infusing ingredients,) used appropriately, it evokes the fullness of flavor from the wheat beyond any other fermentation method I've encountered." 

The actual method is simple, it takes two days, like most of Mr. Reinhart's formulas, but really, the actual time it takes to make these loaves is minimal. 

6 cups of bread flour are combined with salt, yeast and then ice water. The dough is then immediately placed in an oiled bowl in the refrigerator overnight. The next day the dough has still not doubled in size and it is removed from the refrigerator and allowed to finish the ferment for another 2-3 hours. Once it has developed, then it is carefully placed on a floured counter and cut into the sizes needed for whatever shapes you are making. In this case I cut the dough in half, from one half I made three thinner baguettes and with the other half larger sandwich size baguettes. 

I turned two sheet pans upside down and coated with cornmeal, then placed the cut and formed baguettes on them. 

The dough does not have a second rise at this point, just a rest of 5-10 minutes. It is then hearth baked directly on the hearth stone on parchment with some cornmeal to keep it from sticking, I used a peel to slide the dough on the parch
3 ment to the bottom of the hearth. Steam is incorporated by both a steam pan and spraying the inside of the oven with water. 

Spaghetti with Gorgonzola Mac Nut Sauce

Last night I made a simple and absolutely delicious dinner. Whole wheat spaghetti with a Gorgonzola Macadamia Nut Sauce. Served with a light salad and some garlic bread, it was a meatless night. The leftover sauce will also be good on a steak when the time comes to grill one!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons Olive Oil, divided 2:4
2 shallots diced
8 cloves of garlic rough cut
A handful of fresh Italian Basil
Juice and Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3/4 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 cup Parmesan Reggiano
1/4 # Gorgonzola Cheese crumbled or cubed
3/4 cup of heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Hot cooked whole wheat spaghetti

Method:

Dry roast the mac nuts in a frying pan and allow to cool completely.

In a large skillet heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil and sauté the shallots till translucent and just tinged with gold on the ends.

While cooking the shallots place the garlic, basil, mac nuts, lemon juice and zest, parmesan, red pepper and remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a food processor and process until you have a dry pesto.

Add the gorgonzola and cream to the frying pan with the shallots. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until the cheese has fully melted. Add the pesto to the sauce and stir, cooking on low another 2 minutes to heat through. Taste and add salt and pepper. You may not need any salt at all because the cheeses are salty and the lemon adds spark. I use lots of black pepper though.

Add to the hot pasta and toss. Dress with a bit of fresh parsley and additional red pepper.

Avocado Heaven at the Four Seasons

I died and went to Avocado Heaven.

Yesterday was the AFC Kona Kohala Chefs Association June meeting and luncheon hosted by the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on the big island of Hawai'i and Executive Chef James Babian. Oh MY!  I am still in awe thinking about the 14 wonderful and creative dishes that the chefs at the Four Seasons prepared for us.

The Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers and the University of Hawaii also gave us an Avocado tasting of ten varieties that are in season right now. Ken Love, who is considered one of the world's authorities on Avocados and in Tropical Fruit in General set up the tasting with special guests from Manoa, Dr. Ted Radovich, Jyotsna Krishnakumar and Kelly Assai. In the tasting members and guests of the Kona Kohala Chefs Associaion tasted and rated 10 varieties of local Avocados and then those ten varieties were incorporated in various ways in the fantastic menu created by the Four Seasons Chefs.

Executive Chef James Babian of the Four Seasons Resort

The tasters took the assignment seriously... and happily. 

Here is the menu for the afternoon: 

Prickly Pear Gelle, Avocado Pudding and Maui Pineapple Salsa

Smoked Marlin-Ono Avocado Terrine with Umi Vinaigrette

 

Ahi Avocado Poke with Heart of Palm Salad

Avocado Flan with Grilled Kona Shrimp & Mango Salsa

One of my favorites, Wild Boar Adobo with Cilantro Lime Avocado Sauce

 

Another favorite of mine... Compressed Watermelon Carpaccio, Puna Feta Cheese

Avocado Mousse, Micro Shiso and Liquid Olives (that last part was amazing!)

Fulton Valley Organic Chicken, Puna Feta Cheese, Sharwil Avocado Salad

Up Country Palani Ranch Tri Tip, Black Bean Avocado Relish, Hawaiian Chili Pepper Tuille 

Local Grass Fed Beef Sliders with House-Made Local Accompaniments

Macadamia Nut Cake with Avocado Mousse

Dessert Table 

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These are some of the up and coming Culinary Students that our Association Supports

After lunch... the outrigger awaits