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Client just back from Paris has been raving to me about this ice cream that Air France served in business class, it is made in Brittany and said it was "extraordinary and a positively ethereal culinary treat!!

I do not have a clue...caramel ice cream??

Any Ideas?



Sunny

Sunny,

When I think of Brittany, I think of oysters...but, I'm pretty sure that's not what it was.

The title of your thread suggests it was a salt caramel ice cream, which would be extremely easy to make. Make a good custard-based vanilla ice cream and then swirl in cooled caramel to which you've added sea salt. Freeze. Or, if you don't want to do a swirl, you could make a sea salt custard ice cream. (Oy, now I'm craving ice cream...)

This would make sense coming from Brittany...lots of cows up there, and lot's of ocean.

Amy

Edited: Woops! I meant a sea salt caramel ice cream...duh.

I have had this in France and it is very good. The ice cream is not a swirl but all caramel. Is there a way to make a caramel custard? Frozen creme caramel? The salt must have been added to the frozen ice cream as it was not dissolved.

Mary

Caramel ice cream is pretty easy, as long as you're comfortable making a clear caramel. You make caramel to about a 1:3 ratio to what you want your cream/milk amount to be. (For example, if you wanted to use one quart of cream/milk, you'd need about 1 1/3 cups caramel.) You then take 3/4 of your caramel and heat up with your cream/milk to scalding. Then take your egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 of your caramel and whip them until fluffy. (btw...the caramel should be coolish.) Temper the cream/caramel mixture into the egg yolk mixture and cook as usual.

Amy

The ice cream was caramel colored though. I looked for a Swiss recipe and found one and, lo and behold, it linked me back to epicurious:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Salted-Caramel-Ice-Cream-354517

Mary

I'm sorry, I should have been more specific...clear caramel simply refers to the fact you can see through the caramel...it's still caramel colored.

Amy

Oops. You must speak slowly and clearly to simple folks like me. Thanks. Subtitles and illustrations (large and colorful) are also helpful.

Mary

Sunny,

David Lebowitz' book "The Perfect Scoop" may be the best book on ice cream. His Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream may be the best recipe in the book. It is absolutely sinful and worth the extra time to make the salted caramel.

I've made this a few times and found that a heavy copper pan is significantly better than aluminum core for the caramel. You may make the caramel a few days in advance.

Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream
by:David Lebovitz

For the caramel praline (mix-in)
½ cup (100 gr) sugar
¾ teaspoon sea salt, such as fleur de sel

For the ice cream custard
2 cups (500 ml) whole milk, divided
1½ cups (300 gr) sugar
4 tablespoons (60 gr) salted butter
scant ½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cups (250 ml) heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. To make the caramel praline, spread the ½ cup (100 gr) of sugar in an even layer in a medium-sized, unlined heavy duty saucepan: I use a 6 quart/liter pan. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or brush it sparingly with unflavored oil.

2. Heat the sugar over moderate heat until the edges begin to melt. Use a heatproof utensil to gently stir the liquefied sugar from the bottom and edges towards the center, stirring, until all the sugar is dissolved. (Or most of it—there may be some lumps, which will melt later.) Continue to cook stirring infrequently until the caramel starts smoking and begins to smell like it's just about to burn. It won't take long.

3. Without hesitation, sprinkle in the ¾ teaspoon salt without stirring (don't even pause to scratch your nose), then pour the caramel onto the prepared baking sheet and lift up the baking sheet immediately, tilting and swirling it almost vertically to encourage the caramel to form as thin a layer as possible. Set aside to harden and cool.

4. To make the ice cream, make an ice bath by filling a large bowl about a third full with ice cubes and adding a cup or so of water so they're floating. Nest a smaller metal bowl (at least 2 quarts/liters) over the ice, pour 1 cup (250 ml) of the milk into the inner bowl, and rest a mesh strainer on top of it.

5. Spread 1½ cups (300 gr) sugar in the saucepan in an even layer. Cook over moderate heat, until caramelized, using the same method described in Step #2.

6. Once caramelized, remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt, until butter is melted, then gradually whisk in the cream, stirring as you go. The caramel may harden and seize, but return it to the heat and continue to stir over low heat until any hard caramel is melted. Stir in 1 cup (250 ml) of the milk.

7. Whisk the yolks in a small bowl and gradually pour some of the warm caramel mixture over the yolks, stirring constantly. Scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan and cook the custard using a heatproof utensil, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture thickens. If using an instant-read thermometer, it should read 160-170 F (71-77 C).

8. Pour the custard through the strainer into the milk set over the ice bath, add the vanilla, then stir frequently until the mixture is cooled down. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or until thoroughly chilled.

9. Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

10. While the ice cream is churning, crumble the hardened caramel praline into very little bits, about the size of very large confetti (about ½-inch, or 1 cm). I use a mortar and pestle, although you can make your own kind of music using your hands or a rolling pin.

11. Once your caramel ice cream is churned, quickly stir in the crushed caramel, then chill in the freezer until firm.

Note: As the ice cream sits, the little bits of caramel may liquefy and get runny and gooey, which is what they're intended to do.

Since caramel is my favorite dessert flavor of all time (yes, even better than chocolate) I must make this.

Thanks so much!

That looks fantastic. Don't even look at the epicurious one.

Mary