Recipe 15: Earl Grey Sriracha Ice Cream

Sunday, March 29, 2015

            This was another one of those weird recipes that I didn’t choose and wasn’t entirely sure that I would like.  In fact, I put it off for a while (about a week, really) because I just thought it was going to be super gross.  First off, I’m not a huge tea fan, and Earl Grey is a very strong, bitter tea – at least, if you don’t add milk, cream, or sugar.  Second, I’m not a big fan of Sriracha (I actually had to buy a bottle to even do this recipe), and third, why the heck would hot sauce taste good with ice cream?  What were the original creators of this recipe thinking?  It all just seemed a complete recipe for disaster (pun intended).

            Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Earl Grey Sriracha Ice Cream is delicious – sweet, creamy, and soothing with a strong but not bitter tea taste and a spicy kick that hits you square in the back of the throat.  It’s actually really good and something that I’m excited to eat more than once.  Its only downside is that it smells very intensely of Sriracha.  It’s almost over-powering, and if you’re leery of trying it in the first place, it might set you off.  I think that’s because my girlfriend and I added a touch too much – 2 teaspoons instead of the recommended 1 ½.  It also creates this really disorienting burn at the back of your throat that isn’t present as you eat it.  It’s definitely weird but kind of fun – much like Sriracha.  So the next time we make it, we’ll drop the Sriracha down to just 1 teaspoon – that or just make Earl Grey Ice Cream, which is the real star of this recipe.  Seriously, if you’re not sold on the Sriracha, at least try the Earl Grey portion of it.  It is so, so good and would go wonderfully with some Digestives or other English biscuits.

            The following recipe comes from Scoop Adventures: The Best Ice Cream of the 50 States by Lindsay Clendaniel of the ice cream blog Scoop Adventures.

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks
• ½ cup cane sugar
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp traditional Earl Grey tea leaves
• 1 ½ tsp Sriracha (1 tsp recommended unless you really like Sriracha)

* Note: If you already have bagged Earl Grey, cut open the bags and measure out 2 tablespoons.  This will be about six bags of tea.  And, although the book picture says this ice cream will be a light beige color, mine came out looking like coffee-chocolate.  But the taste was great so who cares?  I used Numi brand Aged Earl Grey Organic – Bergamot Assam.  It’s a good tea.

Directions

1. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until pale in color.  Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the milk and cream and place over medium heat.  Warm until the mixture begins to bubble.  Turn down the heat to low, add the tea leaves, and steep for 3 minutes.  Pour the tea-infused milk through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl.
3. Temper the eggs by slowly pouring in ½ cup of the warmed milk mixture at a time, whisking constantly until combined.  Return the warmed yolks to a medium saucepan with the remaining tea-infused milk mixture.  Heat the custard over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
4. Remove from the heat and pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl.  Cool to room temperature.  Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.
5. Once chilled, add the Sriracha.  Taste and add more if desired.  Be warned: both the taste and the smell will be heightened by churning.
6. Pour the base into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm – at least 4 hours.

            This is a really fun recipe – very thick, almost custard-y, with a strong, soothing tea taste and a kick at the back.  It’s one of those recipes I’d like to serve to other people just to see their reactions.  And, although it smells like Sriracha, it honestly doesn’t taste like it.  I really couldn’t taste any difference between the Earl Grey base and the finished product.  The biggest thing to be aware of is that I’m really not sure what kind of meal or snack to pair it with.  The Earl Grey goes great with cookies, but what about the Sriracha?  Tell me your suggestions and enjoy!

Overview

• Base prep time: 15 – 30 minutes
• Base chill time: at least 4 hours (preferably overnight)
• Ice cream set time: at least 4 hours (preferably overnight)
• Taste: very thick and creamy with an initial taste of strong, black tea that dissolves into a spicy (but not flavorful) kick at the end; smells of Sriracha but does not taste of it
• Difficulty level: low to medium
• Expense level: low to medium
• Makes: 4 cups (1 quart)

** Note: For my non-American/non-Thai readers, Sriracha is a popular hot sauce/chili sauce with a rooster on the front (at least when it’s sold in America).  It’s not particularly flavorful, but it does have heat.  It can honestly be used with any food including, as you’ve just seen, ice cream.