2009 September 27 | dinner with Julie

Archive for September 27th, 2009

Plum Crumble with Burnt Sugar Ice Cream

Confession: I’ve been a little bit obsessed with those plum tarts we had in the Okanagan. If it were a celebrity, I might be hanging around in my car outside its house after dark, hoping for just a little taste. Every time I see a plum I wonder if I could similarly transform it, realize I probably couldn’t truly do it justice, sigh with discouragement and don’t even bother eating it because why would I want a stupid plum anyway if it’s not wrapped in pâte brisée?

And then there was a pork sale.

Stay with me here, I’m searching for a segue way.

Sunterra had a big ol’ pork sale this weekend in support of Alberta pork producers, who are still feeling the affects of H1N1 (Canada risks losing an additional 25 per cent of its pig herd in 2009) – they pulled a big freezer truck into the parking lot and offered to load 66 lbs of loin chops, roasts and whole tenderloins into the back of my Subaru Outback for the low low price of $139.

Of course I jump into these situations without considering the state of my freezer.

So when I got home from the dog park (which is right beside Sunterra), having tortured Lou by making him ride home in the back with all that pig, I had to make way for it in my freezer, which meant jettisoning anything that took up too much space – namely the frozen insert for my ice cream machine.

See? I told you there was a connection. Of course that meant I had to make ice cream while it was good and frozen, seeing as I won’t be able to freeze it again for at least 2 pork loin roasts. And I did promise you another batch of burnt sugar ice cream. And I couldn’t rightly eat burnt sugar ice cream all on its own – it really does need to melt a little bit over sweet-tart fruit, preferably with a crunchy, buttery pastry of sorts, like a peach-blackberry pandowdy. Or a plum tart. Sniff.

So I settled on a plum crumble, attempting to mimic the buttery pastry with a plain topping devoid of oats, nuts or anything grainy. It was good enough, but it was no plum tart. The burnt sugar ice cream made up for its absence. Or did it make me miss it more?

Burnt Sugar Ice Cream

adapted (and simplified) from the Martha Stewart Living Cookbook

1 cup + 3 Tbsp. sugar
a few drops of lemon juice (optional-to keep the sugar from crystallizing)
2 cups whipping cream
2 cups whole milk or half & half
6 large egg yolks

Put 1 cup of the sugar into a medium saucepan (one big enough to ultimately accommodate all the ingredients, keeping in mind that the cream will bubble up when you add it) and set it over medium-high heat. If you like, add a few drops of lemon juice – this will help keep the sugar from crystallizing, but it’s not necessary.

Let it sit until the sugar begins to melt, then swirl the pan occasionally, watching carefully so that it doesn’t burn (don’t stir it) until the sugar melts completely and then turns a deep amber. Remove from heat and whisk in the cream – it will sputter and froth, and some of the sugar will solidify – that’s OK. Put the pot back on the heat, turn it down to medium and add the milk or half & half and cook for a few minutes, until the sugar is completely melted. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining 3 Tbsp. sugar. Whisk in some of the hot burnt sugar cream, pouring it in a thin stream and whisking vigorously so as to not cook the egg yolks. Add about a quarter of it, then pour the egg yolk mixture back into the pot, pouring and whisking the same way. Put the pot back over medium heat and cook, stirring almost constantly, until it starts to bubble and thicken, and has the texture of thin custard (it should coat the back of a spoon – that is, leave a trail if you run your finger through it). Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap (I lay it directly on the surface to avoid getting a “skin”), and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Freeze according to your ice cream machine’s directions. (If you don’t have one, ask Santa – it’s worth it just for this.)

Plum Crumble

15-20 plums, pitted and halved
2 Tbsp. sugar (or more, if the plums are very tart)
a shake of cinnamon

Crumble:
1 cup all-purpose flour (you could use whole wheat flour, or oats)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
a shake of cinnamon
1/3 cup butter

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Spread the plums out into a pie plate, quiche pan or other similarly-sized baking dish, sprinkle them with sugar and cinnamon and toss them about a bit with your hands, then spread them out again.

In a bowl (or a food processor) mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; add the butter and blend until crumbly. Sprinkle over the plums, squeezing the mixture as you go to create larger clumps. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and bubbly around the edges.

Serve warm, with ice cream. Serves 6.