Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

I cannot imagine an ice cream more satisfying than this one- the frozen combination of crème anglaise and dulce de leche is ecstasy to my fussy taste buds.
Perhaps the reason I love it so much is because it’s a combination of flavours that remind me of my childhood.
My mother used to make rich, yellow custard for me when I was a young boy and to this day it is the most reassuring food that I can think of. If I happen to be distressed, irritated, or simply worn out, a bowl of hot crème anglaise (made with more vanilla and sugar than usual) will miraculously turn me into a nicer person.
Dulce de leche has similar mood enhancing qualities (ask any Latino). Being of Argentine/ Uruguayan descent, I was brought up on the sweet milky caramel, the same way Aussie kids were raised on vegemite (yuk!). My favorite way to eat it- is (rather greedily) from a spoon. I used to get in trouble for doing that when I was a kid. Too bad, Mum.
Some palates may find the flavours in the recipe below too concentrated. I like my ice cream to be intense and pure in flavour. If you prefer your ice cream mild and milky, then double the amount of crème anglaise. I only raise this point because I have been told my ice creams and sorbets, are too much. Please yourself, that is the best part of being a home cook. One does not need to worry about pleasing the general population, like a restaurant chef has to.

Components
1 vanilla pod (optional)
3 egg yolks (free range)
3 tsp caster sugar
300ml milk
300g Dulce de leche (you can use shop bought dulce, if you like)

Process
Mix together the egg yolks, sugar and milk. You need to decide if you are using fresh vanilla- if your dulce is already perfumed with it, obviously, you won’t need it. Cut your vanilla pod lengthways through the center.
Scrape the black, sticky seeds using the point of a knife and add to anglaise mix. Add the pods too.
I make my anglaise directly over a medium/ high heat. If that makes you nervous then do it over a low flame. I honestly don’t have the patience required to stand 20 minutes over a stove, stirring constantly. I like it done quickly. Once it has thickened, pour it through a sieve into a bowl (keep the pods to infuse sugar- there will be plenty of fragrance to do so).
Mix the anglaise and dulce together. Chill it in the fridge before churning in the ice cream machine.

Freeze for a few hours and eat on the same day.
This amount makes enough ice cream to feed two people (greedily)

Alfajores

This South American cookie is from heaven, with its gorgeous buttery, melt in the mouth texture. I love them and I cannot just eat one- ten cookies later, I am still munching!
My mother made these often for family celebrations and she did them well. In fact most South American housewives have these biscuits in their baking repetoire.
The secret to making them is in the handling of the dough, or the lack of handling, I should say. To keep them soft, only handle the dough to just combine the ingredients. The more you touch this dough, the tougher it will become. To make the entire preparation stress free, have your Dulce de Leche prepared well in advance (or buy from a South American shop, if you must). See December 2006 for my recipe.
Usually these shortbreads are coated with dessicated coconut (how tacky, I detest things that get caught in teeth) I have broken tradition and gone for a slightly more glamorous version, by icing them instead.



Ingredients
150g unsalted cultured butter, at room temperature
100g caster sugar
4 egg yolks (free range, of course)
a few drops of lemon essence
250g cornflour
100g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb soda
300g icing sugar, sifted
60ml boiling water
Dulce de Leche (see December 2006)

Method
With a wooden spoon, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy.
Add each egg yolk, one by one, beating between each addition.
Follow with the lemon essence.
Mix together the dry ingredients and work them into the dough with a minimum of handling until just combined.
Allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
Roll out the dough to a thickness of 5mm and cut it circles 5cm in diameter. I use a small drinking glass to stamp out the circles just because that is how my mother did it.
Bake them on oiled and floured trays in a180c oven. They should not brown at all and are perfect when they are pale but cooked through.
Allow them to cool and then sandwich two halves (to create one) with Dulce de Leche.
Place the sandwiched cookies on a wire rack.
Mix together the icing sugar and boiling water, to create a fluid icing. You may need more or less water. Adjust accordingly.
Use this icing to glaze the gorgeous little cookies. You will need to work quickly, as icing thickens on standing.
I forgot to take note of how many biscuits this quantity makes- I think it is somewhere around the twenty something mark.
Variations- for a less fussy version, you could just dust these with icing sugar. Or if you have the skill, you could use a fine layer of Italian meringue in place of the icing. I like these biscuits for breakfast with a cafe, that’s very South American.

Dulce de Leche

Dulce de Leche is a Latin American sweet spread. It is basically caramelized milk, cooked until thick and sticky. This divinely sweet treat has many uses. The most common way, is to have it on buttered toast for breakfast, with a cup of café con leche (milky coffee). Pastry cooks also like to use it in cakes and pastries. My grandmother uses it to fill crepes. She used to also make ice cream with it. I just like to have it around so I can attack it with a spoon and stuff it straight into my mouth, whenever I need sweetness and comfort.
A commercial product is available from South Amreican delis, but in my opinion is not as good, and it is better to make your own. Some people prefer, for convinience to boil unopened cans of condensed milk until it turns into a product which is similar. Why? I ask. It does not cost much less or take less time than the traditional method, so why bother? All that is involved in the traditional way, is to simmer milk and sugar, until the right consistency has been reached. It is not rocket science, and far safer than boiling unopened cans. I have heard freakish horror stories of hot caramel explosions in peoples kitchens. There is nothing glamorous or convenient about scrapping caramel from the kitchen ceiling and curtains. And I guess you would not be needing that laser peel anymore, after the hot caramel has burnt your face off!
Call me old fashioned, but I am sticking to tradition here.


Ingredients
1 litre of milk (I use goats milk, but cow is fine)
300g sugar
1 scant tsp of baking soda
1 fresh vanilla bean

Method
In a large saucepan, combine the milk, sugar and baking soda.
Bring to the boil and then lower the heat to the lowest setting.
Cook very, very gently for about 2 hours, stirring every now and then. You can lay a wooden spoon across the saucepan to prevent the mix from spilling over.
It is ready when it is thick and brown, like caramel fudge. Remove from the heat.
Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the “dulce”.
It will keep indefinitely in the fridge. I like to store mine in a sterilized jar, but a plastic container will do just as well. Makes about 1 cup.

Hola!

I am really loving the foods of Spain and Latin America. I just cannot get enough at the moment. So I was really happy to go to the Spanish festival in Melbourne yesterday. The festival was mainly food stores, and most Spanish speaking countries were represented. These are some of the foods I observed-

Cazuela from Spain, both chicken and seafood. This dish translates as casserole, and is similar to Italian cacciatore. It was a tomato based stew garnished with black olives.

Paella from Spain. There were several varieties of this popular rice dish (chicken, seafood and vegetarian). I did not try these because they looked a suspicious shade of Roland Mcdonald yellow. And the price did not seem to justify the artificial hue (or lack of saffron)
Churros from Spain. These are deep fried fritters for dipping into hot chocolate and the Spaniards are very proud of this creation.

Asado and chimichurri (bbq beef ribs and herb condiment) from Argentina. Again these looked a bit dubious and certainly did not validate the $18 a serve.
Choripan or otherwise Chorizo in a bread roll from South America
Churrasco (bbq chicken and beef) from Brazil.

Empanadas (pies) stuffed with beef from Argentina. These were delicious. My partner and I loved these and bought some to take home. (Writing about these gorgeous pies, I could not help the urge to pop one into the oven to heat up and eat).

There were beautiful pastries from South America filled with Dulce de Leche (caramelized milk). I bought a whole tray of these assorted sweets and they were divine.

We also drank refreshing Lemonade from Mexico made with fresh lemons and fourteen herbs.

Going to the festival reminded me of my grandparents paella and I was inspired to make my own. Paella is traditionally made for lunch in a paella pan, over a fire. Paella can be made with anything really. Just keep in mind that it is a rice dish, so more rice than other ingredients. Apart from rice, paella should also contain saffron and pimenton (paprika). Use Spanish calasparra rice and Spanish smoked pimenton for authenticity. You can buy these from Spanish delis.

Paella de campina

Ingredients
800 ml chicken stock (fake is fine)
A big, fat pinch of saffron threads
1 red onion, chopped
½ tsp dried greek oregano
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
50g Spanish jamon (or use prosciutto), cubed
80g Spanish tocino (or use pancetta), cubed
100g semi dried chorizo, papery skin removed and sliced
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
150g boneless chicken thigh, cut into 2cm cubes
200g calasparra rice
Fresh black pepper
1 garlic clove finely chopped, extra
Freshly chopped black pepper

Method
Heat the stock. Add the saffron threads and let the stock infuse with these golden stamens.

In the meantime prepare the “sofrito”.

Heat the oil with the onion, garlic, oregano, thyme, jamon, tocino and chorizo over a low heat, in a paella pan preferably (mine is about 22cm wide and perfect for this amount. You can also use a wide pan).

Saute gently for about 20 minutes until the onion is golden brown. Do not rush this stage, it is crucial to building the flavour of your paella and will make a big difference. Towards the end of this process add the paprika.

Then add the chicken and the rice.

Pour in the stock, bring to the simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.

Traditionally you are not supposed to stir paella, but I give it a stir half way. and again, towards the end.

It is ready when the stock is absorbed and the rice cooked. There should also be a nice golden brown crust on the base of the pan (this is delicious).

Add pepper and the extra garlic clove. Stir through lightly.

It should not need salt but add it, if it need be.

Sprinkle with parsley. Let it sit for about 5 minutes and eat.

I served this with beetroots marinated with sherry vinegar and and extra virgin olive oil. Yum!