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Friday, April 09, 2010

Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream


Salted chocolate mousse and salted caramel macarons
Images from The Salt Book, Arbon Publishing

Salt in desserts seem like a new and brilliant idea until you realise that people have actually been doing it for ages. In Thailand, fruits like pineapple and green mango are eaten with chilli and salt, and Vietnamese desserts often incorporate a pinch of salt in the coconut milk. In Brittany, they've been making salted caramels for more than 400 years.

I'd been looking forward to the release of The Salt Book after attending its promotional salt tasting event late last year. Over several hours we tried 15 types of salt against a variety of meats, seafood, fruits and vegetables. It was an eye-opening experience to note the different intensities of saltiness as well as appreciating the nuances of texture (from fine flakes to crunchy pyramid-like crystals) and the added flavouring components of vanilla, lemon, smoke and truffle.

The collection of recipes in The Salt Book is wide and varied, starting with how to make your own flavoured salts (vanilla, coconut, citrus and porcini) to using salt as a preserver for gravlax, sauerkraut and kimchi. It moves onto pretzels, hot-cured beef, salt-baked lamb and duck confit before tantalising the tastebuds with the use of salt in desserts: chocolate mousse with olive oil and sea salt, salted caramel macarons and dulce de leche.

I've reproduced two recipes from the book below, Salted Caramel and Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream, which both sound divine. Read on for details on how you can win your own copy of The Salt Book in this week's Freebie Friday giveaway.



Salted Caramel
From The Salt Book, Arbon Publishing

100g sugar
3/4 teaspoon fleur de sel

Cover a baking tray with a silicon mat, or lightly grease it with oil. Place the sugar in a medium-sized heavy-based saucepan and heat without stirring over moderate heat. When the edges of the sugar begin to melt, gently stir the liquefied sugar into the centre of the pan, until all the sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is a caramel colour and smells as though it is just about to burn.

Working quickly, sprinkle the fleur de sel over the caramel without stirring and then pour the caramel onto the baking tray, tilting and rotating the sheet so that the caramel forms a thin even layer. Set aside to cool and harden.


Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream
From The Salt Book, Arbon Publishing

300g sugar
500ml whole milk
4 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 portion salted caramel (100g sugar) prepared as above

Caramelise the 300g sugar the same way as for the salted caramel. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and the salt. When the butter has melted, gradually whisk in the cream.

Set half the milk in a bowl over ice. Pour the other half into the caramel and set back on the heat. Whisk the egg yolks in a bwol, then pour a little of the hot caramel over the eggs. Pour the heated egg yolks back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.

Strain the custard through a fine sieve into the chilled milk, add the vanilla and stir frequently until the mixture cools. Freeze, then churn in an ice cream maker. Break the salted caramel into small pieces and stir quickly through the churned ice cream.

THE PRIZE:
One copy of The Salt Book (RRP $34.95)
Preview the book at http://salt.realviewtechnologies.com

Please note entrants are restricted to Australasian residents only.

HOW TO ENTER:

All you have to do is fulfil the requirements below:
  1. Leave a comment on this post and tell us: when do you like to reach for the salt shaker/ salt flakes? On your hot chips? On your ice cream? With your fruit?

  2. And then send an email to grabyourforkfreebiefriday@yahoo.com.au with the subject heading "Salt" and include your full name and a copy of your published comment from this post.
The winning entry will be decided on honesty, creativity or entertainment value. Don't be shy! You gotta be in it to win it! Readers may submit one entry per day as long as each answer is different.

The Salt Book competition closes on Tuesday 4 May 2010 at 5.30pm AEST. The winner will be announced on Grab Your Fork on Wednesday 5 May 2010.

EDIT: This competition has now closed. Congratulations to the winner announced here.

>> More Grab Your Fork competitions to enter:

~~~

In other news, one of my photos of a Luther Burger (made by the cholesterol-loving Chocolatesuze) was featured recently in an article on CNN.com. The article is all about the rise of extreme junk foods, with KFC about to launch the Double Down in the USA: two pieces of bacon, two slices of melted cheese and mayonnaise "sandwiched" between two fillets of chicken. That's right - there's no bread, just a double dose of fried or grilled chicken. It makes the Luther Burger (a bacon cheeseburger sandwiched in a Krispy Kreme donut) look almost virtuous. Click here for the full story.



I'm also this month's featured blogger for Nuffnang. Click here for all the answers to my interview.


50 comments - Add some comment love

posted by Helen (Grab Your Fork) on 4/09/2010 12:30:00 am


50 Comments:

  • At 4/09/2010 12:48 am, Anonymous Mark @ Cafe Campana said…

    Note to self, "Purchase and ice cream maker". Do I need one? no. Do I want one? Yes. Great recipes like this are reasons for me to get an ice cream maker. Do you have one with a freezable tub or one with a compressor?

     
  • At 4/09/2010 1:49 am, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hee hee hee YAYYYY for Luther burger pic on CNN! (just ignore the reason why it's there)

    Ommmgg just looking at it again is making me crave it... mmmm

     
  • At 4/09/2010 1:53 am, Blogger Cathy x. said…

    One thing that's always bothered me is the general rule to add a little salt to food to bring out the flavour, however the same concept is rarely applied to desserts. Salt may be a seasoning but it should never ever be an afterthought!

    My favourite ice cream is one that I used to make 3 times a week: 'salted almond and olive oil' ice cream. I'd toast whole almonds with a generous sprinkling of pink sea salt, which I'd then roughly grind and fold through the soft ice cream by hand immediately after churning. It was rich and creamy and full of yolks. The olive oil drizzled into the base left slightly mysterious yet undeniably delicious grassy notes that were broken only by the crunch of beautiful, golden almond clusters and the burst of salt flakes as they hit your tongue.

     
  • At 4/09/2010 4:02 am, Anonymous Amy said…

    Isn't it considered a flavour enhancer? Shake the shit on everything!

     
  • At 4/09/2010 8:24 am, Anonymous Hannah said…

    There once was a girl from Australia,
    Whose previous aversion to salt was a failure.
    But having salt on her sweets
    Became such a regular treat,
    That of her love for salt she now can regale-ya.

     
  • At 4/09/2010 8:39 am, Blogger Sydney Shop Girl said…

    I love it!!

    SSG xxx

     
  • At 4/09/2010 9:22 am, Anonymous Chocolatesaltyballs said…

    Whenever I see a friend, family member or work colleague with an open wound, I always like to break out the salt.

    Oh, and I'm also evil.

     
  • At 4/09/2010 9:36 am, Anonymous Audz said…

    i put salt on everything i've eaten. one of my fav dish, malaysian dish, is putting plum salt on pineapples. it actually cuts the acidity of the pineapple and prevents your tongue from being 'cut'.

     
  • At 4/09/2010 12:49 pm, Blogger sugarpuffi said…

    ive tried chocolate with sprinkled rock salt before and to be honest, i didnt particularly enjoy it. Pineapple with salt are nice but chocolate...not so much. I ended up eating around the sprinkled area. So fail.

     
  • At 4/09/2010 1:31 pm, Blogger A cupcake or two said…

    Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream YUMMMM. I'm a little weird, I reach for the salt when I am eating watermelon or any sweet fruit. Its delicious. SALTY and SWEET = YUM.

     
  • At 4/09/2010 2:37 pm, Anonymous Rachel said…

    I always eat crumpets sprinkled with salt - Murray River pink salt is best - no butter, just salt and sometimes ground pepper too.

    I'm intrigued by salt with sweet things, so I think I'll try a salt-chocolate combination soon. And if I use iodised salt, I can say I'm eating it for my health - as I do dark chocolate, of course...

     
  • At 4/09/2010 5:31 pm, Anonymous penny aka jeroxie said…

    It is a beautiful book. Now I think I need to make the last batch of ice cream before it gets too cold.

     
  • At 4/09/2010 6:08 pm, Blogger Cathy x. said…

    sea salt, the stuff that comes in flake form is supposed to be better than regular table salt as it contains a whole lot of naturally occurring minerals and things

     
  • At 4/09/2010 7:12 pm, Blogger Unknown said…

    Oh wow - this really makes me wish I had an ice-cream maker I have formed a serious addiction to sea salted caramels (apparently also Barack Obamas favourites) so would adore this icecream

     
  • At 4/09/2010 9:44 pm, Anonymous YM said…

    Don't be shock or suprise! Add some salt to your coke and it will turn into a totally new drink. There are some benefits from adding salt as it helps relief sorethroat as well (at least that is what I heard).. But try it.. I do it all the time in restaurant much to the suprise look of the waiter/waitress and my dining companion.

     
  • At 4/10/2010 12:59 am, Blogger OohLookBel said…

    Everything (and I mean *everything*) is improved by a little salt. I love it on watermelon, especially. That looks like my kind of book :)

     
  • At 4/10/2010 1:31 pm, Blogger Liz said…

    Nothing beats a sprinkle of salt on ripe avocados.

     
  • At 4/10/2010 5:22 pm, Blogger Vanessa Pike-Russell said…

    My Mum loves her salt and I often went off to school with a small square of cling wrap filled with salt and then twisted into a ball. It was used to sprinkle over the celery sticks, boiled eggs and salad plates but any left over salt was sprinkled over my milo bar which was coated in chocolate. Delish!

    I first discovered my love of icecream with salt when I used my super salted McDonalds fries to scoop up the icecream in my sundae.

    I don't drink beer without lemon and salt. Not only is it delicious but it removes the gassiness which makes it easier to drink :)

    I guess the strangest thing I have put salt on is a mango after reading about it on Savoury Seduction's blog Intriguing!

    P.S. congratulations on your feature for the Luther burger pic! I have some Krispy Kreme addicted family in Tasmania who are waiting me to fly down to visit with the donuts for them to try it. Sheer decadence. Augustus gloop would be proud :)

     
  • At 4/11/2010 12:02 am, Anonymous Amy said…

    no taste.... just shake

     
  • At 4/11/2010 2:05 am, Anonymous Trissa said…

    My mouth is watering thinking about that salt tasting you attended. I love salt! I can eat it alone - no need to have fruit, ice cream, a big steak - just plain salt!

     
  • At 4/11/2010 2:38 am, Anonymous Arwen from Hoglet K said…

    Sounds like an interesting book, and it must have been fun sampling the different salts. Exciting that your burger was featured too!

     
  • At 4/11/2010 12:24 pm, Blogger Claire said…

    One discovery from my Brazilian friends ... sea salt is amazing on fresh steak just off the bbq. Try it - you'll never go back ...

     
  • At 4/12/2010 1:28 pm, Anonymous Ally said…

    I am so scared to make caramel - I just know it will end in tears - but dang, I might just risk it after looking at this baby.

     
  • At 4/12/2010 2:48 pm, Blogger Two fit and fun gals said…

    wow that icecream sounds so good- i need to get an icecreammachine!

     
  • At 4/12/2010 9:32 pm, Blogger Brian Wong said…

    In our family salt makes a regular appearance during dessert where in the summer we add crushed chili to it. We then proceed to dip guava or pineapple for a salty-sour-chili flavour. Strange but nice!

     
  • At 4/12/2010 10:39 pm, Anonymous Mrs Pig Flyin' said…

    How interesting is that I read an article about salt in coffee only a couple of weeks ago. Apparently salt can affect the body, acidity, and bitterness of the coffee, I will need to give it a go one day

     
  • At 4/12/2010 10:43 pm, Anonymous YM said…

    try salt on pineapple- really give you a kick and bring out the flavour of the fruit.

     
  • At 4/13/2010 9:22 am, Anonymous Anh said…

    Congrats on the pics on CNN!

    I really salted caramel flavour! The ice-cream and the book sound fab!

     
  • At 4/13/2010 5:19 pm, Anonymous MM said…

    I usually reached for the salt shaker on rather tasteless food in *some* restaurants. Seriously do not underestimate the power of salt. It is not very healthy (I know!!) but it really transformed a plate of normal dish to rather tasty affair. Try it next time (politely of course!).

     
  • At 4/16/2010 11:27 pm, Blogger Sue said…

    Lol Vanessa on your comment about McDonalds fries and ice-cream, it's a constant source of cringe to my kids when I dose up the salt on the fries and dunk them in my thickshake, hot and cold, salty and sweet, hmmmm, wonder if the drive-through is still open?

     
  • At 4/17/2010 7:14 pm, Blogger Phuoc'n Delicious said…

    HAHA This is going to sound really cruel but I've only done it once.. I reached for the salt shaker when....


    ... I saw a snail/slug! They fizz up! (Don't hate on me if you are an animal activist :S)


    But on a serious note, I like with fruit! Especially when it's grounded with chilli; dip green mangoes into that and I'm in heaven. Mmmmm..

     
  • At 4/17/2010 8:01 pm, Anonymous Deb said…

    Hey I'm with Phuoc'n Delicious - salt goes great on cane toads!! Fizz fizz. And after I've watched them fizzing, I l-o-v-e salt on rockmelon (anyone tried that?) - a taste sensation.

     
  • At 4/17/2010 8:10 pm, Blogger chris said…

    Before and after grilling a steak.

     
  • At 4/17/2010 8:18 pm, Anonymous Caroline said…

    I am trying to limit my salt intake. Therefore, the only time that I reach for my salt shaker is when its addition is required in a recipe.

     
  • At 4/17/2010 9:58 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Salt sprinkled on a hard boiled egg is the best... plus, I ALWAYS carry a little sachet in my purse for that salt emergency!

     
  • At 4/17/2010 10:01 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Salt is delicious sprinkled on a hard boiled egg. Perfection.

     
  • At 4/19/2010 5:01 am, Anonymous Maria said…

    I'm loving the dark chocolate/salt combo, but I must say I almost always (have to) add salt on fish. I like mine very well salted!

     
  • At 4/19/2010 12:50 pm, Blogger Karina L said…

    I put salt in all of my sister's cooking because her food is always tasteless.

     
  • At 4/20/2010 1:17 pm, Anonymous Shanavyre said…

    I add a little flake of salt to my decadent caramel slice. A chef friend of mine reccomemded it, and I have never looked back - absolutly divine *shivers with delight*!

     
  • At 4/24/2010 12:37 pm, Blogger Tammy said…

    i rarely add salt to my food once its been cooked, but as a child i used to love tomatoes and i ate them whole.
    when i grabbed one that wasnt quite ripe enough, i used to sprinkle a bit of salt on it. it makes all the difference.

     
  • At 4/24/2010 1:59 pm, Blogger Mrs HP said…

    I'm just not a salt person, and only reluctantly bought a salt shaker because I wanted to please my guests. I'm slowly learning to love it, but there is one exception - salt and more salt is a must on freshly made popcorn!!

     
  • At 4/24/2010 7:18 pm, Blogger Jasmine1485 said…

    It's only been in recent years that I've experimented with food, I was brought up on a very traditional diet. I've never really tried salt on anything unusual to date, although I once got some accidentally on a chocolate-coated caramel and thought it improved it! If I won this book, I'm sure it'd give me many ideas on how to use salt in new and innovative ways, beyond sprinkling it on chips. :) I thought the idea of sprinkling a little good olive oil and sea salt onto vanilla icecream (which I read about in Jamie's Italy) was intriguing too.

     
  • At 4/27/2010 1:22 am, Blogger piccolanippy said…

    I reach for the salt to put on my french toast. But my favourite is from mcdonalds, I get a caramel sundae and I dip the chips in! SO delicious, my mum and my sisters do the same too but they get chocolate sundaes.

     
  • At 4/29/2010 10:40 am, Anonymous Katie said…

    Chocolate truffles with pink salt flakes.

    Ingredients
    200g Semisweet Chocolate
    200g Bittersweet Chocolate
    (I like Ghirardelli cos I'm a brand sl*t. Well, and it tastes good)
    1 375ml can Sweetened Condensed Milk
    1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
    200g Meltable Milk Chocolate
    Murray River Pink Salt Flakes

    Instructions
    Heat dark chocolates and condensed milk in a bowl over a simmering shallow pot of water until chocolate is melted. Stir in vanilla.
    Remove from heat, cover and refrigerate for two hours.
    Once chilled, roll in balls, then roll in melted milk chocolate coating. Sprinkle with gorgeous pink salt flakes while coating is still wet.

    Incredibly addictive, and yes, if you have gluttony issues (like me) all that delectable cocoa fat will go straight to your hips. And thighs. And give you a lovely soft squidgy pot belly.

     
  • At 5/01/2010 11:40 am, Anonymous YM said…

    Salt on water.. Good remedy for sore throat.

     
  • At 5/01/2010 1:34 pm, Anonymous Amanda said…

    I just adore salted caremel and have just discover Steven ter Horst's divine salted caramel chocolates! This can only mean trouble for my hips!

     
  • At 5/03/2010 10:39 am, Blogger greenlees said…

    When life is handing me lemons I ask where the tequila and salt is!

     
  • At 5/03/2010 9:10 pm, Blogger pam said…

    Nothing beats freshly baked cookies finished with sea salt flakes washed down with a glass of full cream milk. I wouldn't mind being Santa Claus if every home leaves this near the Christmas tree.

     
  • At 5/03/2010 9:45 pm, Blogger finucane said…

    Salt is a must in all food. Heres a hint, if you overdo the salt in a dish add some grated potato it will reducess the saltiness. Murray River Pink Salt with triple brie cheese and Pink Lady apples is the top taste sensation

     
  • At 5/04/2010 10:14 am, Anonymous David Robert said…

    I'd happily reach for the salt cellar on almost any culinary occasion, but it's best on scrambled eggs with spinach and mushroom.. really enhances the flavours and overall taste..

     

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