Strawberry Honey Balsamic Black Pepper Ice Cream
If there's any other place you could choose to live in, where would it be?
For me, I'd probably choose Portland in Oregon, US. I've visited Portland only twice ever and only remember good things, especially the serenity in exploring its charming streets.
The first place that comes to mind when I think of Portland is Salt & Straw, the ice cream shop that introduced me to the wildest possibilities in a scoop. What I especially love about them is the fact that they source ingredients from local partners. What a way to champion the great things produced in their area!
Sitting within Pine Street Market (a food hall in Portland) was Wiz Bang Bar, Salt & Straw's soft-serve dessert bar. Unfortunately they closed in the recent years due to COVID. The last thing I had at Wiz Bang Bar was Salt & Straw's Strawberry Honey Balsamic Black Pepper ice cream, in soft serve form. I got Salt & Straw's cookbook and knew I had to recreate this at home. No doubt it doesn't taste exactly how I remembered (nothing beats local produce, and unfortunately we don't have that benefit here in Singapore), it was still a refreshing reminder of time in Portland.
I adapted the recipe from Salt & Straw's cookbook, using what was available. Unfortunately good strawberries are rare in Singapore, so I used store-bought frozen strawberry puree (thawed). Layering in strawberry jam with the ice cream helps boosts the strawberry taste.
An odd-sounding combination but you have to try it to believe it! Using balsamic and black pepper helps coax out the acidity and brightness of the strawberries. Recipe adapted from Salt & Straw.
- 90 g sugar
- 15 g milk powder
- 0.25 tsp xanthan gum
- 40 g light corn syrup
- 320 g milk
- 320 g heavy cream
- 180 g strawberry puree (store-bought)
- 60 g honey balsamic vinegar
- 0.25 tsp black pepper (freshly cracked)
- 100 g strawberry jam (store-bought)
In a small bowl, add sugar, milk powder, and xanthan gum. Mix well and ensure there are no clumps.
In a medium saucepan, add the light corn syrup and milk. Add the milk powder mixture and whisk until combined. Heat over low-medium heat until sugars have dissolved (do not let simmer).
Add heavy cream, strawberry puree, balsamic vinegar and black pepper. Mix to combine.
Pour ice cream mixture into a resealable plastic bag or bowl. Store in fridge overnight until very cold.
Once mixture is very cold, freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Layer ice cream with strawberry jam. Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.
- Xanthan gum is a common food thickening agent and can be easily found in your local food stores. In Singapore, it's readily available online and at Phoon Huat.