Bring It To A Close

For one year in high school I was devoted to the show, Saturday Night Live. I loved Gilda, Lorraine, Dan, and John and it was worth staying up late to see how they could warp any situation into a side-splitting comedy fest. As a bonus, I could then be one of the cool kids on Monday, knowing all the lines, the gags, and the in-jokes.

One running gag that the show had was the Land Shark. It was a guy in a shark costume who would knock on the door, and when the unwary occupant opened the door, they would be devoured. The trick was getting them to open the door. He'd try "Candygram." "We're on a diet," they'd reply. "Plumber." "I don't need a plumber." And so on, until he they finally opened the door. My favorite use of the land shark was in a skit that was running on and on, with no end in sight. The land shark knocks on the door. The people in the apartment turn him down for a candygram and flowers, but gleefully open the door when he offers an "end to this silly skit."

I often feel that way when I make Asian dishes. I love the food, but I don't know what to serve for dessert. And a meal without dessert just isn't even worth contemplating! So I was so pleased to try out this recipe from The Perfect Scoop. I knew as soon as I tasted it that it would be the perfect way to bring a close to a wonderful, spicy Asian meal. The lemon and ginger flavors float delicately on a creamy cloud, soothing the palate and pleasing the tongue and tummy. I especially enjoyed it drizzled with honey. Perfection!



Lemon Ginger Ice Cream
adapted from The Perfect Scoop

2 lemons, preferably unsprayed
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
3 oz. (85 g) unpeeled fresh ginger
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
Pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks

Zest the two lemons into a food processor. Save the lemons for another use. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is finely incorporated into the sugar.

Cut the ginger into thin slices and place them in a medium, nonreactive saucepan. Add enough water to cover the ginger by about 1/2 inch (2 cm), and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain, discarding the liquid.

Return the blanched ginger slices to the saucepan, then add the milk, 1 cup (250 ml) of the cream, the lemon zest/sugar, and salt. Warm the mixture, cover, and remove from the heat. Let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

Rewarm the mixture. Remove the ginger slices with a slotted spoon and discard. Pour the remaining 1 cup (250ml) heavy cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Place the bowl into an ice bath and stir the custard until cool.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.