Salted Caramel Ice Cream
This recipe was taken from David Lebovitz, otherwise known as the ice cream guru. His recipes are wonderful and work every time. David suggests incorporating caramel praline into the ice cream, but I decided to skip this step. This ice cream is just pure luscious, creamy, velvety goodness. It's rich but not too sweet or strong. I love it! If you don't have Fleur de Sel, you can use any good quality sea salt.
Category: Mousses, creams & ice creams
Recipe in PDF format (print friendly)
- Yields 1 liter of ice cream
- Prep time: 15min
- Cook time: 25min
- Total time: 40min
- Difficulty: Basic
Ingredients
- 5 large egg yolks
- 250ml heavy cream
- 300g sugar
- 60g butter
- 1/2 teaspoon Fleur de Sel
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
In a large bowl, make an ice bath by filling it halfway with ice-cold water and ice. Insert a smaller bowl over the ice and pour 250ml of milk into it. Lay a strainer on top of it and set it aside. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the milk (250ml) with heavy cream. In a wide, heavy-bottomed saucepan, spread half of the sugar in an even layer. Cook over moderate heat until the sugar has melted halfway. Now gradually add the rest of the sugar and cook until it is all evenly melted. Avoid stirring before all the sugar is completely caramelized to avoid recrystallization. This is the tough part because you don't want the caramel to burn, so keep your eye on it all the time. The easiest way to tell when it's ready is when the caramel begins to smoke and bubble and is on the edge of burning. Take it off the heat and stir in the butter and salt. The butter will bubble wildly in the caramel, so be careful. Gradually whisk in the mixture of cream and milk, stirring as you go. If the caramel gets too hard, return it to the heat and continue to stir over low heat until any hard lumps are melted. Whisk the yolks in the small bowl and gradually temper the warm caramel mixture over the yolks. Scrape the yolks back into the saucepan and cook until it turns into a custard-like consistency. Scrape the bottom as you stir. It's best to use a silicone-based spatula or a wooden spoon to stir the ice cream. The ideal temperature is 71-80°C, and a good indication is when it coats the back of a wooden spoon evenly. Pour the custard through the strainer into the milk sitting in the ice bath. Add the vanilla and then stir frequently until the mixture is completely cooled down. Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you don't have an ice cream machine, transfer the cooled custard into a freezer-friendly plastic or metal bowl, cover it with a lid or cling film, and put it in the freezer. For the next 3 hours, check the ice cream every 30 minutes and stir vigorously to break up any ice crystals. It's best to use a sturdy whisk or a spatula. Then leave it in the freezer until completely frozen and serve.
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