Ice Custard
This rich and creamy frozen dessert combines the velvety texture of a traditional custard with the refreshing chill of ice cream. A classic Parsi-style preparation, it features a smooth base thickened with cornflour and egg yolks, lightened by folding in fluffy whipped egg whites before freezing. Infused with aromatic vanilla, this 'Ice Custard' offers a delightful balance of sweetness and airy lightness perfect for a cooling treat.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Whole milk (Originally '1 seer'. Converted to approx 1 liter/4 cups.)
- 1 cup Granulated sugar (Originally '0.5 ratal' (approx 0.5 lb). Adjusted to volume.)
- 3 tablespoons Cornstarch (Originally '2.5 tolas' Brown & Polson's Cornflour.)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract (Originally '1 small spoon vanilla essence'.)
- 3 large Eggs (separated) (Use pasteurized eggs if concerned about raw egg whites in the final freezing step.)
Instructions
- 1Separate the egg yolks from the whites. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with a small amount of the cold milk (about 1/4 cup) until smooth. Beat the egg yolks with a fork until thin and mix them thoroughly into the cornstarch slurry.
- 2Reserve 2 teaspoons of sugar from the total amount and set aside for later. Pour the remaining milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan (originally a tin-lined vessel). Bring the milk to a boil. Add the remaining sugar to the hot milk and stir until completely dissolved.
- 3Give the cornstarch-yolk mixture a quick stir to ensure it hasn't settled. Pour it quickly into the hot milk while stirring constantly and vigorously to prevent lumps from forming. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens into a custard consistency.
- 4Remove the custard from heat. Strain it through a fine sieve into a clean bowl to remove any lumps. Place this bowl into a larger vessel filled with cold water (an ice bath) to cool the custard down rapidly. Be careful not to let any water splash into the custard.
- 5While the custard cools, take the reserved 2 teaspoons of sugar and add it to the egg whites. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Once the custard is completely cool, gently fold in the beaten egg whites and the vanilla extract until well combined.
- 6Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer instructions, or pour into a mold and freeze until solid (as per the original method). If freezing in a mold without churning, it may be beneficial to stir occasionally during the freezing process to break up ice crystals.