Fernet Branca marinated fig ice cream

With squinting eyes and a hacking cough I spat out my first gulp of Fernet-Branca.    It’s a common reaction with Fernet virgins – so why didn’t the liquor salesman or the pastry chef warn me?   My startled nostrils and taste buds were screaming Robitussin and Listerine.  The dark brown concoction was highly medicinal with a strong dose of Pine-Sol - and nasty to put it kindly!   After shelling out a pretty penny for the bottle, I realized that I should have done my homework and goggled it before I planned to use it with my small but precious harvest of figs!   Just look at my blog header and you’ll understand my love of figs. 

I considered trashing the bottle but local pastry chef Plinio Sandalio recently tweeted that “fernet branca makes miracles”.   I’m not sure what planet he comes from (ok, I know he’s from Bolivia) but I believe he was thinking “miracles” with desserts.  Upon further research I discovered that Fernet is a miracle potion for those with hangovers!   It’s considered the national drink of Argentina and is wildly popular in San Francisco.  I tried it with iced coke, a common mix which I found a little more palatable, but I was still thinking that I was not going to let this Fernet fool around with my beloved figs!

So who am I to question a professional chef?   As you can see, I sacrificed a few figs to find out that this overzealous digestif does indeed have special powers…when used in small amounts.   I found a marinade in Cooking Light magazine from San Francisco chef Luis Villavelazquez and marinated them for several days…just because I wasn’t quite sure what to do with them just yet!   Eventually I decided upon fig ice cream and made a rich custard base from a recipe by ice cream wiz David Lebovitz.   Rich in egg yolks and cream,  the classic custard base was the perfect complement to the brazen marinade. 

The result was brilliant!   We were swooning with delight as we scooped spoonfuls into our mouths.  It was a beautiful marriage of velvety sweet figs, rich custard, and a gentle hint of herbs and spices.   A miracle!

FYI:   Fernet began as a medicinal potion compounded by Bernardino Branca, a chemist in Milan.  It was taken to ease stomach ailments, hangovers and cramps.   The list of ingredients is incredibly long – over 40 with some still remaining a secret.  Based on grapes, it also contains a sizeable portion of saffron, myrrh, mint, cardamom, aloe, mushrooms, fermented beets, coca leaf, gentian, rhubarb, wormwood, zedoary, cinchona, bay leaves, absinthe, orange peel, Echinacea, quinine, ginseng, St. John's wort, sage, galangal, peppermint oil – and the list goes on!  Today it is made by fifth generation Fratelli Branca.  It is aged in oak barrels for 12 months and contains over 40% alcohol.  The alcohol content in the marinade prevents the ice cream from hardening rock solid.  Even after a few days it remained the perfect scooping texture.

A vintage label

Fernet Branca marinated fig ice cream

Fig marinade adapted from Cooking Light, August 2010

¼ cup water

¼ cup honey

1 tablespoon Fernet Branca (a little goes a long way!)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

pinch of salt

6 fresh figs, stems removed and then quartered

Combine water, honey, Fernet Branca, lemon juice and salt in small saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Place figs in a glass container.  Pour marinade over figs and cover.  Refrigerate for up to 3 days - the longer the better!  Keep chilled until ready to add to the Custard base.

 

Custard base adapted from David Lebovitz’s Vanilla Ice Cream recipe in The Perfect Scoop

1 cup (250ml) whole milk

A pinch of salt

3/4 cup (150g) sugar

2 cups (500ml) heavy cream

5 large egg yolks

Combine the milk, salt, sugar and heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Scoop out ¼ cup milk and set aside.

Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl to combine. While whisking, add ¼ cup milk drop by drop to warm the eggs and prevent them from curdling. Pour the egg mixture into the milk in the saucepan and whisk continuously. Return saucepan to the heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute until it thickens slightly and then set aside to cool completely. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight until thoroughly chilled.

Freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions for 10 minutes. When ice cream starts to thicken, slowly add the marinade but hold back the figs.   Continue to freeze in the ice cream maker (about 10 more minutes) and then add the figs.  Freeze until well blended and set.  Transfer to a container and freeze.

 

Prijatno!

Apple galettes with Vanilla bean goat’s milk ice cream and Blue Heron Farm cajeta

I have never met a goat cheese I didn’t like!  Who can resist the rich layered cake-like wonder that is Humboldt Fog, a perfect French crottin or the red wine-soaked Drunken Goat?   I’ll never forget my first taste of chèvre.  It was a young crottin, covered in chopped walnuts and then toasted so that the cheese was warmed through. It garnished a green salad at lunch years ago at the Château de Chenonceaux in the Loire Valley.  The setting: perfect, the chèvre: a revelation!

But I had never tasted fresh raw goat’s milk until recently.  It is marvelous!   While preparing for a dinner for our wine group, I visited Blue Heron Farm in Field Store Community near Waller, Texas.  Owners and artisans Lisa and Christian Seger were our special guests and provided their highly regarded chèvres for several items on the menu.  Expecting a gaminess beyond what my cow’s milk-trained palate could savor, I poured some over my granola for breakfast and was blown away by the mild sweetness and ever so subtle tang (which becomes more prominent when the milk is transformed into chèvre).  It was a delicious treat I enjoyed all week.  .

SPOILED GOATS, FRESH CHEESE exclaims the banner at the entrance to the Seger’s ten-acre property.  Forgoing quantity for quality, they have chosen the sweet-natured, long-eared Nubian goats that produce milk that is high in butterfat and mild in flavor.  It’s kidding season, and after meeting the adorable babies and their curious mamas, I left with a variety of creamy chèvres, cajeta (caramel) for dessert, and two quarts of freshly harvested goat’s milk.   The milk that I didn’t consume with breakfast I used to make a lovely Vanilla bean ice cream (recipe below). 

If you live in the Houston area you can find the Seger’s chèvre at several outdoor markets.  I suggest you reserve your portion…they are always the first to sell out!  You can also arrange for a tour and tasting at the farm. 

Our dessert was warm individual Apple galettes made by our friend Helen.  Vanilla bean goat’s milk ice cream and Blue Heron Farm cajeta were the perfect accompaniments.  If you have never tasted cajeta from Blue Heron Farm, I urge to do so!  It’s always fresh, all natural and contains no fillers.  It’s the perfect pouring consistency and I admit that I’m addicted to it!

Vanilla bean goat’s milk ice cream

Makes 1 1/2 quarts

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 pinches of salt

4 cups fresh raw goat’s milk (No guarantee that it will be good with commercially produced goat’s milk)

½ vanilla bean pod

2 eggs

Bring a little water (about ½”) to a simmer in the bottom of a double boiler.  Whisk sugar, cornstarch and salt in the top bowl of a double boiler. Place on top of simmering water.  Slowly add goat’s milk, whisking continuously until the mixture is hot and thickens a little, about 20 minutes.

On a cutting board, split the vanilla bean pod in half lengthwise with a pointed knife.  With the sharp tip of the knife, scrape the vanilla seeds (caviar) out and add the bean pod and seeds to the milk mixture.

Beat eggs in a separate bowl until the yolks and whites are combined.  Ladle about ½ cup of the hot milk into the eggs and whisk together quickly to prevent them from curdling.   Add the eggs to the rest of the milk mixture and cook over the simmering water for an additional 5 minutes, but make sure that it doesn’t boil.

Cool milk custard in an ice water bath, stirring every few minutes.  Chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Strain the chilled custard through a sieve and discard the vanilla bean.  Freeze the custard by following the directions to your ice cream maker.

 

Apple galettes

Adapted from Susan Spungen’s Almond Berry Tart  from More magazine.  Makes 8 galettes.

Crust

½ cup sliced or slivered almonds

1½ cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1½ sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

¼ cup ice water

Filling

4 cups thinly sliced peeled, cored and quartered apples

½ lemon, juiced or 2 tablespoons

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the top

Sliced almonds

Coarse ‘crystal’ sugar or Turbinado sugar

To make the crust, combine the almonds, flour, salt and sugar in food processor.  Pulse to combine.  Add butter and pulse until the pieces are the size of peas.  With the machine running, quickly add the water.  Stop the machine just when the dough begins to come together.  Remove the dough and knead once or twice.  Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line a large cookie sheet with parchment or a silpat.

In a medium bowl, combine the filling ingredients. Set aside.

On a well-floured surface, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.  Roll each piece with a rolling pin until it measures about 6 – 7 inches.   Pile sliced apples evenly on each piece of dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the border over the filling, leaving some of the apples exposed.  Brush the dough gently with cold water and then sprinkle with crystal sugar and sliced almonds.

Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 30 - 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving with goat’s milk ice cream and cajeta.

Prijatno!

Meyer lemon ice cream

There was a mad dash last week to harvest the Meyer lemons, Key limes and basil from the yard in anticipation of a hard freeze.  Both procrastinators to the max why do it now when you can do it mañana?, Husbie and I waited until the temperatures plummeted to grab the shears and head outside.  He was smart enough to don gardening gloves, but I grabbed my more appropriate fur coat (my friends would expect nothing less from me!) and clipped and clipped until I could no longer feel my fingers.   Frostbite aside… LOOK AT MY BEAUTIFUL MEYER LEMON BOUNTY!

Also known as the Valley Lemon in citrus growing areas of southern Texas, the Meyer lemon is native to China.  It was introduced to the US in the early 20th Century.  Each tree is potentially a prolific producer, and can con many into believing that it is fake – the lemons are like perfect golden orbs that lighten up the winter landscape alas, mine is now stripped naked… 

The Meyer lemon is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange and produces fruit that is larger, sweeter and less acidic than the true lemon.  It is edible in its entirety because its skin is thin and devoid of a thick and bitter pith.  It is high in dietary fiber and vitamin C.  Popular with chefs because of its mild acidity and fragrant skin, it was first popularized by Chez Panisse Restaurant’s Alice Waters in Berkeley, California..

I’m going to have so much fun cooking with them!   I am planning on making Meyer lemon marmalade, this Torta della Nonna, limoncello, lemon tarts, lemon cookies, lemon infused olive oil and lemon-basil pesto and still not be sick of them!  But first up is this custard-based lemon ice cream that is fresh, cool and creamy.

Meyer Lemon Ice Cream
from Ultimate Ice Cream in Asheville, North Carolina, found on Tartelette’s fabulous blog.

finely grated zest of 3 Meyer lemons  
1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice, freshly squeezed and strained
3/4 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
pinch of salt
1 cup milk
2 cups heavy cream

Combine the lemon zest, juice, and sugar in a non-reactive bowl and refrigerate for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally so that the acid in the lemon juice dissolves the sugar. 

Heat the milk in a large saucepan until just barely boiling and remove from heat.  In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and whisk the warm milk into the yolks.  Pour the egg yolks and milk back into the saucepan.  Over medium low heat, stir constantly until it starts to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat immediately as the eggs may curdle.  Strain the custard through a sieve and refrigerate for a couple of hours until completely chilled.

Mix the egg custard, heavy cream, and the lemon slurry together.  Check the taste of the lemon cream – you can add up to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice now if you prefer it to be more tart.  Follow your ice cream maker’s instructions and enjoy!

 

 Prijatno!