Chilled Summer Fruit Soup with Toasted Sesame Ice Cream
This exquisite dessert is simplicity itself: fresh summer fruit, macerated and served in a spicy syrup. You could make it even easier by using a purchased ice cream, but the Toasted Sesame Ice Cream suggested by the chef is an interesting addition. The selection of fruit can vary; just pick the best available.
Ingredients
- Syrup
- Water - 2-1/2 cups
- Sugar - 1 cup
- Orange Juice - juice of 2 oranges, or 1 cup plum wine
- Gingerroot - 2 inches
- Star Anise - 5 pieces
- Cinnamon Sticks - 2
- Summer Fruits
- Plums - 4, (Black Beauty or Queen Anne), pitted and sliced
- Cherries - 1/2 pound, cut in half and pitted
- Blueberries - 1 pint
- Strawberries - 1 pint, hulled
- Raspberries - 1/2 pint
- Sesame Brittle (recipe follows)
- Sesame Ice Cream (recipe follows)
- Sesame Brittle Ice Cream (Makes 2 quarts)
- Sesame seeds - 1-3/4 cups
- Sesame Brittle
- Sugar - 2 cups
- Water - 1 cup
- Cream of Tartar - 1/4 teaspoon
- Ice Cream
- Egg Yolks - 12
- Milk - 3 cups
- Vanilla bean - 1/2
- Sugar - 1-1/2 cups
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 2 cups
- Sesame Brittle (recipe above) - 1 cup, crushed
Instructions
To make the soup: Place all the syrup ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes; remove from heat and chill in the refrigerator or over a bowl of ice. Place the plums, cherries, and blueberries in a large bowl. When the syrup is cold, pour it over the fruit and gently fold together so all the fruit is moistened. Macerate 10 minutes; stir in the strawberries and raspberries. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 10 hours, or overnight.
To serve: Ladle the soup into martini glasses. Serve with a scoop of Sesame Brittle Ice Cream.
Sesame Brittle Ice Cream
To toast the sesame seeds: Spread the seeds in a small dry saute pan or skillet over high heat. Stir and toss the seeds until they are nutty brown and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool.
To make the brittle: Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the sugar, water, and cream of tartar in a heavy sauce pan, stir, and place over medium-high heat. Let boil until the mixture reaches 300 F (hard crack stage: when dropped into cool water it forms a hard ball which snaps when broken). Remove from heat. Fold in 1-1/2 cups of the toasted sesame seeds and pour onto the prepared pan. Let cool and break into small pieces. Store unused portion in a cool, dry place.
To make the ice cream: Whip the yolks in a mixer or by hand until they are light yellow and frothy. Heat the milk and sugar in a heavy sauce pan, stirring gently. Split the vanilla bean section and scrape the seeds into the milk mixture with the tip of a small knife. Add 1/4 cup of the toasted sesame seeds and bring the milk just to a boil. Remove from heat. Slowly stir a spoonful of hot milk into the egg yolks. Whisk in the remaining milk, slowly, until incorporated. Place in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats a spoon. Remove and place over a bowl of ice, stirring, to cool. Stir in the heavy cream. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator. When cold, freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions, adding the sesame brittle pieces when the ice cream is just thickening and freezing.
