Lychee Ice Cream 茘枝雪糕

There are so many summer fruits that are suitable for making desserts that I sometimes have a hard time deciding what to use... However, recently I came across frozen lychee puree in a restaurant supply store and could not resist buying some. Although it is quite expensive, this kind of ingredient is hard to find elsewhere.

Imported from France, the puree contains 91% lychee and 9% invert sugar. But what is invert sugar? Essentially it is table sugar sucrose (disaccharide) that has been heated with an acid, usually cream of tartar. It then breaks down into glucose and fructose (monosaccharide), which will remain in liquid form. Invert sugar is widely used in the world of bakery and confectionery. It improves texture and, as a natural preservative, helps to extend shelf life. It is great in making ice cream because it keeps crystallization under control and gives a smoother consistency. (Click here for more information)

Since lychee puree is low in pulp and high in water content, it needs to be cooked with the milk and cream for the extra water to evaporate. Otherwise, the ice cream will have an excess of ice crystals.






市面上有衆多夏天水菓可以做甜品糕點,有時真不知選擇那一種好呢?...最近剛好在一間餐館用品店見到有法國出品的雪藏茘枝蓉,價錢雖然高一點,但這些食品材料很難在別處買到,所以也買來試試。

包裝上註明成份是91%茘枝,9%是轉化糖漿。轉化糖漿是什麼東東呢？故名思義,它是將普通白糖轉做另一種糖,即是將雙糖(蔗糖)變做單糖(葡萄糖及果糖),以致它不會結晶,成為液體狀態,做出來的食物有保鮮、防止結冰及改善口感等,做中式傳統月餅便是用它了。用來做雪糕可以令它更有柔滑口感。

因茘枝水份較多,要與其他材料煮去多餘水份才可防止雪糕變冰硬。

Ingredients for making a quart of ice cream:

2 cups whole milk 全脂牛奶
1 1/4 cups heavy cream 奶油
1 tbsp+1 tsp corn starch or tapioca starch 玉米粉或木薯粉
1/8 tsp fine sea salt 海鹽
80g/ 2/5 cup sugar 糖
2 tbsp light corn syrup 玉米糖漿
120g lychee puree 茘枝蓉

1)  Take about 3 tbsp milk and mix with the corn starch or tapioca starch and the salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
2)  Put the lychee puree, the rest of the milk, heavy cream, sugar and corn syrup in a large pot. Bring to a steady boil for 4 minutes without covering. Remove from heat.
3)  Add the cornstarch slurry to the boiled milk mixture, stirring constantly. Return to heat for a minute with constant whisking.
4)  Let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
7)  Churn in an ice cream machine, following the manufacturer's instructions.

Notes:
1)  Fresh lychee can substitute frozen puree. Put lychee flesh in a blender or food processor to puree. For a smoother texture, pass it through a sieve.
2)  The amount of sugar has been reduced.

先將約三湯匙的奶與玉米粉及鹽在一小碗内拌勻。其餘的奶、奶油、糖及玉米糖漿放一大鍋內煑滾,不加蓋煑四分鐘,熄火。將玉米粉漿加入,邊加邊攪,再開火煑一分鐘。待冷後放雪柜至少四小時或過夜。倒入雪糕機內攪成雪糕。

注意事項:
1)  新鮮茘枝也可以做,去皮及核後放攪拌器攪至變蓉,再隔渣便可。
2)  糖的份量經已減少。