Charcoal Ice cream
Choppy: Unlit charcoal has a pretty good shelf life – 40,000 years in fact. When in this dormant stage, it’s pretty tasteless and we’ve all seen the images of cool-looking black charcoal ice cream on social media. Apart from the colour and an unappealing sand-like texture, there’s very little to showcase the flavour of the charcoal. This ice cream, on the other hand, isn’t black but is packed full of the kaleidoscope of sensations you’d expect from those flaming fragrant embers. We only ever use sustainably sourced native charcoal, free from additives and nasty stuff – and you should too.
Ingredients
MAKES- 1Litre
SETUP- Half and half technique on your BBQ is best for this
500ml double cream
500ml full-fat milk
3 lumps of red-hot charcoal, about the size of tennis balls (We use oak but any species is good – something sweet and fruity will work nicely)
150g caster sugar
60g full-fat milk powder
3 egg yolks, beaten
Salt
Method
1. Light up some beautiful charcoal and get it nice and hot.
2. Mix together the cream and milk in a large heatproof bowl. The liquid should only fill the bowl halfway, to allow room for the charcoal and the sizzle. When the charcoal is red hot, use tongs to carefully place the charcoal lumps into the creamy milk. Watch as the charcoal fizzes, releasing flavours from the fire and caramelizing the sugars in the dairy. You’ve just supercharged the milky base with deep smoky, rich sweetness.
3. When cool, cover tightly and place in the fridge overnight to infuse.
4. The next day, strain the charcoal milk through a sieve into a large pan, discarding the lumps of charcoal (some of the speckles of charcoal will pass through and that’s OK – it’ll give the finished scoop a vanilla-like appearance). Add the sugar, milk powder and salt to the pan then simmer it very gently over a low heat – do not boil!
5. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks in a large heatproof bowl, then pour the warm milk mixture over the eggs, whisking constantly. When it’s combined, pour the liquid back into the pan and heat gently, whisking all the time, until the little bubbles on the surface begin to disappear and the base thickens. Take off the heat and continue to stir as it thickens, then and pour the custard through a sieve into a container (ideally one with a sealable lid). Once the mixture is cool, seal and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
6. Follow the instructions on your ice cream maker to churn the mix and freeze it. Once frozen, you can scoop and enjoy on its own. It’s also particularly good with flame-roasted fruits. Smoky, deep and complex – this is how charcoal ice cream should taste and don’t let anyone tell you different.
DJ BBQ’s Backyard Baking by Christian Stevenson, Chris Taylor and David Wright (Quadrille, £20) Photography: David Loftus