BLACK STICKY RICE ICE CREAM {THE EMPEROR'S FORBIDDEN RICE}

Black Sticky Rice Ice Cream | Organic Ice Cream Recipes in French and English at La Bonne Honte { labonnehonte.com } Image Copyright labonnehonte.com 2020

Ingredients:

(Makes about a Quart)

For your Black Rice Pudding:

1/2 cup Black Rice (70 grams)

pinch Kosher Salt

1 cup Coconut Milk (240 mL)

1 cup + 2 tablespoons Palm Sugar (136 grams)

2 cups Water (475 mL)

For the Custard Base:

2 cups Heavy Cream (475 mL)

1 cup Milk (240 mL)

2/3 cup Sugar (140 grams)

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

6 Large Egg Yolks

Tools:

Large Heavy Bottom Pot

Spatula

Sieve

Immersion Blender* / Blender

*Ideal, not essential

Instructions:

For the Black Forbidden Rice:

1. Soak the rice overnight in water. Drain and then place in a large, heavy bottom cooking pot (with a lid) with the salt, coconut milk, chopped palm sugar, and 2 cups fresh water.

2. Bring to a boil with the lid half-on and allow to boil until the liquid is pretty much absorbed and the rice is soft enough to chew. Add more water and continue to cook if it needs more time to become soft enough. (This will probably take at least 30 minutes but could take multiple hours… I’ve had it both ways. Go figure.)

3. When rice is finished, remove from heat and allow to cool. Gently blend it a few times with an immersion blender. I personally like it if there are still some full grains of rice in the mix.

For the Ice Cream Base:

1. Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. (This will become an ice bath for cooling the custard later on.)

2. Take a pinch of the sugar and throw it into the bowl of egg yolks (for later). Add the rest of the sugar, heavy cream, milk, and salt to a medium heavy-bottom pot and set over medium-low heat, whisking often. Once the sugar has dissolved and just before the mixture begins to steam, hand whisk the egg yolks (and the dash of sugar) so that they become lighter in color. (20 - 30 seconds). Then add a tablespoon of the steaming dairy mixture while still whisking. Repeat until you have added 4 - 5 tablespoons of the dairy mixture to the yolks.

3. Add the yolk mixture back into the rest of the dairy mixture, stirring continuously with a spatula or wooden spoon. Make sure to mix the bottom as well. The custard will be done cooking once the mixture is cooked “to the nape,” meaning thick enough to glaze the back of the spatula or spoon. (Dip the spoon into the custard, then run your finger across the back creating two halves. If the custard remains separated even when tilted at different angles and held for a second, it is done cooking.)

4. Strain the custard into a clean medium bowl and float it in the ice bath. Stir the custard until cool. (5-ish minutes) Once cool, mix in the room-temperature black rice puree then transfer to an air-tight container and allow to refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

5. When you are ready to churn, follow the instructions of your ice cream maker. Pour your chilled custard into your machine and let it churn until it has the texture you desire. Enjoy!

Since this ice cream has a rather structured base, I would suggest letting it relax in the refrigerator 15 - 30 minutes before you plan on serving it!

This Black Sticky Rice Ice Cream Will Keep for about One Week.

Notes :

+ If you don’t want to spend your whole afternoon hovering around the kitchen stealing concerned peeks at your black rice bubbling away, pre-soak the rice overnight ( or at least for six hours) otherwise it will take forever to cook! It took me three attempts with different cooking methods to figure this out.

+ If you can’t find Palm Sugar for the black rice, just use regular sugar. The taste will be different, but it will still be delicious