There’s a little piece on us in today’s Independent. You can read it online here.
Month: July 2008
Earl Grey Tea Ice Cream
Here’s another recipe from the book, and it’s one of my favourites. I tasted it first at an ice cream shop in Boston, and I didn’t expect to like it half as well as I did. Now, as I play around with the ice cream and learn more about chemistry, I know that the tannins in tea cut sweetness. Earl Grey tea generally has a mix of different black teas, including Darjeeling and China tea, but it is the bergamot that really make it distinctive. If you want an adult ice cream that will surprise your guests, this is one to try. It’s especially fantastic with a chocolate cake!
EARL GREY (TAE) ICE CREAM
Ingredients:
- 130g + 2 tablespoons sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 240 ml cream
- 250 ml milk
- 6 Earl Grey tea bags or the loose leaf equivalent.
What to do:
- 1. Beat the sugar and egg yolks together until thick and pale yellow.
- Bring the milk to a simmer.
- Add the tea and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
- Bring back to a low simmer, stir, and remove the tea bags.
- Beat the milk into the eggs and sugar in a slow stream.
- Pour the mixture back into the pan and place over low heat.
- Stir continuously until the custard thickens slightly (around 65-70C) and just coats the back of a spoon. Don’t over-heat, though, because at around 76C you will scramble the eggs!
- Immediately remove from the heat.
- Transfer the custard into a small container, cover, and refrigerate until cool (5C).
- Whip the cream until it has doubled in volume (you should have soft peaks – don’t over-whip).
- Fold the cream (gently stir) into the custard.
- Freeze using a domestic ice cream machine, or cover and place in the freezer, stirring every few hours to break up the ice crystals.
If you’re using a domestic ice cream machine, transfer to a freezer-proof covered container when the ice cream has achieved a semi-solid consistency (around 15 minutes). Place it in the freezer, and continue to freeze until it is solid.
Yield: 8 servings
Note:
To pasteurise the eggs, heat the custard to 73C and maintain that temperature for at least 5 minutes. Use a cooking thermometer, though, and keep stirring! If the custard goes any higher than 76C, the eggs will scramble. Immediately cover and place in the freezer until cool
Notes from Dublin
I am now back in Dingle, with my trips hopefully behind me for a bit, and today I spent much of the day happily making loads of chocolate sorbet for the shops.
However, I wanted to pass on a couple tips from Dublin:
1. If you live in the Milltown area, check out the new food shop, Wilde and Green (photo above). It’s really beautiful inside and has a tasty array on offer (including a good selection of our ice cream). It also contains a Liz Earle shop – more on that here. Shop address: St. Anne’s, Milltown Road, Dublin 6.
2. Morton’s has added a cafe as part of their refurbishment of their Ranelagh shop. The coffee was excellent, the whole places looks fantastic.
Happy eating!
A Weekend Blend of Ice Cream
For anyone interested, my brother and I will be on Weekend Blend on Newstalk at around 11:00 am today (repeated tonight), talking about the book and making ice cream.
Technorati tags: radio, Newstalk, Weekend blend
Eating My Way from Kinsale To Mallow
Just a little recap of the rest of my Cork sales trip:
In Kinsale, I visited Mange Tout, a little, tasty shop for delicious food on the go and a good place to grab a cup of coffee.
I also learned that Gwen’s Chocolates has opened a branch in Kinsale, and any chocoholic will find their new place irresistible. It’s a stylish, continental-style chocolate cafe, and you can indulge in a cup of the hot stuff, pick up a bar from a good-sized range, or arm yourself with tongs and fill a bag from the mouth-watering rows of truffles.
I made it to Cork City in time for lunch, and managed to find a table at my favourite restaurant there – Cafe Paradiso. Dennis Cotter has been working his magic for a long time, but it feels as fresh as ever. The risotto I had with Bluebell Falls goats cheese, avocado and fresh peas was one of the best dishes I’ve tasted in a long while.
We have a few new accounts coming on-line in Cork, notably JJ O’Driscolls and the Spar on the Douglas Road. This is great news for us, since finding our ice cream in the city has been difficult. The Blue Olive still has a selection, as does the brilliantly old-school O’Keefe’s gourmet shop in St. Luke’s Cross.
I spent the night outside Youghal in Ardmore (why not?), where the bed and breakfast lady turned out to be a regular Kerry visitor and customer in our Dingle and Killarney shops. The town is a gem, and the stunning cliff walk (photo top) is balm to the soul.
The next morning, I visited another new account – Grandon Fine Foods in Sallybrook near Glanmire. A gleaming shop attached to a petrol station, it seems to be quite a popular stop for a snack.
On the way back to Dingle, I stopped at Urru in Mallow. Ah, to have an Urru in Kerry! Any foodie who hasn’t visited one of their two branches is seriously missing out. And, if you’re lucky, you’ll find food blogger supreme, Caroline, behind the counter in Mallow. She served me up a bit of the aforementioned goat’s cheese and some smoked crackers to help me survive the trip back home.
It’s a lot of driving, but I must do this more often!
Technorati tags: Cork, restaurant, food, shop, ireland
Eating My Way to Kinsale
I’ve gone off on a bit of an ice cream sales trip, which is normally something that my brother does (and much better that I do). Still, it’s been a while since I’ve done a tour of South Kerry and Cork, and I was quite happy to set out.
Honestly, it’s hardly seemed like work at all, given that visiting customers entails snacking at some of the best food shops in Ireland and everybody was so welcoming and friendly.
After leaving Dingle, I stopped in for a latte in our Killarney shop. Then a scenic drive and a fantastic salmon tart at Truffle Pig in Kenmare. Leaving Kenmare, I had a brief stop at Benoit Lorge’s Chocolate Shop, then drove to Ballylicky (an even more beautiful drive) and rewarded myself with some cheese and a herbal drink at Val Manning’s mouth-watering emporium.
On to Bantry, where I visited De Barra’s restaurant, then to Skibbereen, where there’s a new food and wine shop and the very impressive Field’s Supervalu. Then I drove to Bandon for a cappuccino and cherry tart at the unmissable Urru.
Now I’m in Kinsale, where I found room for dinner at Max’s Wine Bar (including a melted chocolate tart served with our ice cream) and am now comfortable ensconced at Perryville House.
Tomorrow I hope I’m feeling less stuffed, because I have a few stops in Cork city and I know I won’t go hungry!
Technorati tags: Cork, restaurant, food, shop, ireland