I came home from work the other day to the best surprise in the whole world. A big box with those big, glorious red letters “KitchenAid” was sitting on the kitchen table!
I had been lusting over the ice cream maker attachment to my stand mixer for months. Though I would love a self-refrigerating machine, like the kind we use at the restaurant, the KitchenAid attachment is really the most practical, reasonable and efficient for at-home churning. Ice cream is kindof like jam (my other recent obsession) – as long as you get the basic process down, you have the ability to be creative and experimental, or simple and traditional, mixing an infinite number of different flavor options, savory and sweet, into one delicious little package.
Naturally, as a thank you for this ridiculously perfect gift, my first ice cream adventure had to be Bobby’s #1 favorite, rum raisin, made with his #1 favorite rum, Sailor Jerry’s.
Now, I have to take a moment to talk about Sailor Jerry’s. This rum is unlike any rum I have ever tasted. It was created to honor the legacy of Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins, the prolific tattoo artist who is considered the father of old school Navy tattooing (swallows, anchors, pin-ups, etc). He spent half of his life as a sailor, and the other half tattooing them, and as such, Sailor Jerry’s is made in accordance with the old sailor’s tradition of infusing the spirit with a special blend of Eastern spices. It is therefore absurdly smooth, with intense notes of vanilla, butter, toffee, nutmeg and cinnamon. Phenomenal on the rocks, but also perfect for rum raisin ice cream!
Rum Raisin Ice Cream
adapted from, where else, but “A Perfect Scoop,” by David Lebovitz
-yields 1 L-
Ingredients:
2/3 c (100 g)raisins
1/2 c (125 mL) Sailor Jerry Spiced Navy Rum
strips of orange zest
3/4 c (180 mL) whole milk
2/3 c (130 g) sugar
1 1/2 c (375 mL) heavy cream
pinch of salt
4 large yolks
Technique:
1. Mascerate the raisins in the rum and orange zest.
2. Warm the milk, sugar, 1/2 c of cream and salt in a sauce pot.
3. Pour the remaining cream into a separate bowl, and set a strainer on top.
4. Whisk the eggs in another bowl. Slowly pour the milk into the yolks, constantly whisking. Then, scrape the mixture back into the sauce pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens to coat the back of a spoon.
5. Pour the custard through the strainer and into the cream. Stir over an ice bath until cool, then refrigerate until completely chilled (I leave mine overnight at the least).
6. Drain the rum from the raisins. Add more rum so that you have a total of 3 tbsp, and stir into the custard. Then turn the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions. Add the raisins during the last few minutes of churning.
Boozy, boozy goodness!
Photos by Bobby Z Photo
