Recipe#8756

Title: Coconut Milk Icecream

Newsgroups: rec.food.veg.cooking 
 From: colonel@korat1.vu-korat.ac.th ("Col. I.F. Khuntilanont-Philpott") 
 Subject: iscrem kathi sai khing wan (coconut milk ice-cream w/ginger topping) 
 Message-ID: <01bbe40f$529a31e0$0a1b9bcb@korat1.vu-korat.ac.th.vu-korat.ac.th> 
 Original-Newsgroups: rec.food.veg.cooking 
 Date: Sat, 7 Dec 1996 07:24:05 GMT 

This I suppose is what everybody wants when most of the web is situated in
 lands where winter is starting, and there is probably snow on the ground...
 Still I had to wear winter clothing the morning - the temperature was down
 to 24C (75F) when I left for work and my teeth were positively chattering.
 In order to get the correct effect in the ginger it is 'distressed' a
 little first. We do this by rolling it through a heavy roller designed to
 tenderize dried squid. However you should be able to get a similar effect
 with a pasta roller or even a rolling pin. The slices should be of uniform
 thickness so I suggest a sharp kitchen slicer rather than a hand held
 knife.
 For restaurant presentation the slices of ginger are cut to uniform pretty
 shapes using small confectioners' biscuit cutters, or the type used to cut
 out cake decorations.
 so: first preparation of the candied ginger.
 ingredients:
 1 cup of sliced ginger
 2 cups of water
 one and half cups palm sugar
 baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
 lime juice
 method
 If you are using tender young ginger you may leave the skin on. Older
 ginger should be peeled. This may be easier after it has been sliced.
 slice the ginger into uniform roundels about an eighth of an inch thick,
 and then roll them until they are half the original thickness. Dust the
 ginger lightly with the baking soda, and leave to stand for about 10
 minutes.
 Remove the baking soda by vigorously brushing with a stiff bristled brush
 to produce a slightly matte texture to the surface, and then immerse in
 lime juice for an hour. This has the effect of heightening the flavor, and
 also giving the ginger a delicate pink color.
 Bring the water to a boil, and stirring continuously add the sugar a little
 at a time until all is dissolved and forms a sticky, syrupy consistency. If
 necessary add a touch more water to ensure all the sugar is dissolved.
 Reduce the heat to very low and add the ginger slices and simmer, very
 gently, for 10 minutes, then turn off the stove and allow the ginger to
 cool naturally. Remove the ginger from the liquid and drain it (you don't
 have to be overly enthusiastic about this, but it shouldn't be too wet
 either), and put it in a sterile preserving jar, and keep in the
 refrigerator for at least a week before use. Reserve the ginger syrup in
 another sterilized jar, to pour over the ice cream.
 Ice Cream:
 Ice cream is clearly not "authentically Thai" in the sense that it has been
 served for hundreds of years (Thailand is a tropical country and without
 modern refrigerators it is very difficult to make ice cream), but it is now
 widely available and very popular. However two things are uniquely Thai:
 firstly it isn't made with animal milk, but with coconut milk, and secondly
 it is not usually flavored with fruit, but rather with savories such as
 corn, sweet potato, or herbs.
 Ingredients.
 2 cups coconut milk
 1 cup water
 1 cup corn kernels, pureed
 1 teaspoon of vanilla or rosewater (optional)
 pinch of salt
 2 tablespoons of shredded coconut (see below)
 1/2 to 1 cup of sugar.
 You also need 1 pineapple
 Method.
 In a dry wok or skillet, over medium heat, toast the coconut 'meat' until
 golden brown, and set aside to cool.
 Split the coconut in half lengthwise, and scoop out the woody heart of the
 fruit and then place the two halves in the refrigerator to cool.
 Combine the coconut milk and water, and warm it, then stir in the sugar,
 and stir until dissolved.
 In a liquidiser/blender, puree the corn kernels (or use a can of creamed
 corn), and then stir it into the coconut milk, combining thoroughly. Add
 the rosewater if you are using it, and a dash of salt and taste for flavor
 balance. Transfer to a mixing bowl and, with a hand beater, whisk to
 thoroughly to incorporate air. Pour the mixture into the two hollows in the
 pineapples and transfer to the ice box, and chill until set. Any extra ice
 cream can be cooled in ramekin dishes or similar.
 Serving:
 Slice the coconuts into horizontal slices, and serve to the diners with any
 excess ice-cream also shared out, decorating each slice with pieces of
 candied ginger. Fold the fried coconut into the reserved ginger syrup, and
 pour over the slices of ice cream, decorate with mint and lime leaves.
 enjoy.