Culinary experimentation
Mar. 7th, 2007 11:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dr_tectonicSince I have the Floyds' ice-cream maker, and since I will be returning it soon, I decided to experiment.
I made savory ice cream.
I tried making a frozen cucumber raita, basically. Peeled a cucumber, salted it to draw off some water, rinsed it, and threw it in the blender? Added about half a container of plain yogurt and, hmm, 3/4 pint, I think, of buttermilk. For seasoning, a quarter teaspoon of garam masala and a half-teaspoon each of ground cumin and ground coriander. Plus some black pepper. Blend until liquefied and pour it in the ice-cream maker.
The result was a qualified success. I didn't rinse the cucumbers well enough, so it ended up really salty and I had to add a pinch of sugar to try and balance it out. It was a reasonable texture out of the ice-cream maker, but after I left it in the freezer to firm up, it iced up considerably. Too much water, not enough fat, I think, which is in part because I didn't use much yogurt (I was using up leftovers) and in part because I added a lot of buttermilk to try and cut the salt.
If I did it again, I'd just throw the cucumber in straight and salt to taste once everything else was mixed together, and I would use a lot more yogurt -- probably more yogurt than buttermilk, honestly.
So not spectacular, but all in all, I think it would work. I probably won't eat all of what I made, but I'll eat at least some of it when I'm in the mood (and if I remember to let it defrost some first.) Tomorrow, I'm going to make mint again (for 2nd Thursday boardgaming) and see if I can make it less delicate this time.
I made savory ice cream.
I tried making a frozen cucumber raita, basically. Peeled a cucumber, salted it to draw off some water, rinsed it, and threw it in the blender? Added about half a container of plain yogurt and, hmm, 3/4 pint, I think, of buttermilk. For seasoning, a quarter teaspoon of garam masala and a half-teaspoon each of ground cumin and ground coriander. Plus some black pepper. Blend until liquefied and pour it in the ice-cream maker.
The result was a qualified success. I didn't rinse the cucumbers well enough, so it ended up really salty and I had to add a pinch of sugar to try and balance it out. It was a reasonable texture out of the ice-cream maker, but after I left it in the freezer to firm up, it iced up considerably. Too much water, not enough fat, I think, which is in part because I didn't use much yogurt (I was using up leftovers) and in part because I added a lot of buttermilk to try and cut the salt.
If I did it again, I'd just throw the cucumber in straight and salt to taste once everything else was mixed together, and I would use a lot more yogurt -- probably more yogurt than buttermilk, honestly.
So not spectacular, but all in all, I think it would work. I probably won't eat all of what I made, but I'll eat at least some of it when I'm in the mood (and if I remember to let it defrost some first.) Tomorrow, I'm going to make mint again (for 2nd Thursday boardgaming) and see if I can make it less delicate this time.
