Elf Sternberg

Today's mad science: Thai Tea Ice Cream

Now, Thai Iced Tea is one of those recipes that my wife, Omaha, adores. She gets it pretty much every time we get Thai food, although if it's in the evening she'll eagerly substitute a tall glass of Mango Lassi instead. The other day, I was talking to a friend of mine and she said that somewhere in Pike Place Market someone sold Thai Tea Ice Cream.

I know how to make ice cream. I had a bag of Thai "Tea leaves" lying around. It was time to experiment.

Now, one of the ingredients that's classic to Thai Iced Tea is that the sugar source is sweetened, condensed milk. I did the math and realized that one can of the stuff is almost entirely sugar-- in fact, it would have more sugar than some of the sweetest ice cream recipes I know call for!

Anyway, here's the recipe.

• Prep time: 30 minutes.


• Cooking time: 1 hour, requiring occasional attention


• Total time: 8 hours (sorry)


• Makes: 1 quart (8 servings)


• Calories per serving: 290


• Caffeine per serving: 20mg-30mg

Special equipment you'll need:

• A sous vide.


• An ice cream churn


• Spatulas


• A fine mesh strainer or a funnel & cheesecloth


• A one-gallon Ziplock bags


• Measuring cups, including a 4-cup liquid cup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy cream


• 2 cups whole milk


• 1.5 cups sweetened condensed milk


• 4 to 6 egg yolks (I used four, it came out fine!)


• 1/2 cup Thai Iced Tea leaves


• pinch of salt

First, and this is serious: let everything come to room temperature. The milk, the cream, the eggs. This makes the initial stir a lot easier.

Start the sous vide and bring a large pot of water to 176℉, exact. Too low and the egg yolks won't thicken into custardy goodness; too high and the yolks will curdle in the presence of all that lactose. Whisk the egg yolks until smooth, add the cream, milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whisk gently, being sure not to whip any air into the mixture. Once everything is well-mixed and uniform, pour it into the Ziplock bag, add in the Thai Iced Tea leaves and the pinch of salt. Seal the bag mostly, leaving a small opening, and carefully squeeze all the air out until the mixture is near the opening, then seal the bag entirely. Gently shake the bag to distribute the tea leaves and salt.

Immerse the bag in the sous vide and clip to the side with clothespins, setting the timer for 1 hour. Every 10 to 15 minutes, gently agitate the bag with a wooden spoon to redistribute the tea leaves.

After 1 hour, remove the bag and carefully strain the contents of the bag through a fine mesh (a cocktail strainer is good for this, but a simple two-fold cheesecloth and a funnel or colander works just as well) into a four-cup measuring glass. Cover the glass with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

When the mix has reached the temperature of your refrigerator, it's time to churn it. I am not delicate; I just turn the machine on, pour in the mix, and walk away. Ten minutes later, there is ice cream.

It's going to be soft-serve at this point; either eat it immediately or, if you can resist, put it into a couple of freezer-safe storage containers and let it sit for a few more hours. Enjoy responsibly!

Tip: If you're having trouble keeping the sous vide at such a high temperature, put a hot pad or folded kitchen towel under the pot so the heat won't escape into your counter, and stretch another towel over the top of the pot, using clothespins to hold it in place so it doesn't sag and get wet.

Tip: If you don't have Thai Ice Tea leaves, you can make it yourself with:

• 1/2 cup loose leaf black tea


• 4 star anise pods


• 6 cardamom pods


• 1 cinnamon stick


• 1/2 split vanilla bean.

This recipe has the advantage of not having the additional red food dye that seems to be popular with some manufacturers, and is less likely to stain any light-colored clothes onto which your kids might dribble any ice cream.