Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [168]
For the sugar syrup: Combine the sugar, water, corn syrup, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until the sugar dissolves, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir in the amaretto.
For the persimmons: Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, about 425°F.
Remove the leaves, and then slice the persimmons crosswise about ⅜ inch thick. Coat the slices all over with the olive oil.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Grill the persimmons directly over the heat until nicely grill-marked, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a food processor and puree. Strain the puree through a medium-mesh strainer, and then measure out 1½ cups puree. Discard the rest. Combine the strained persimmon puree, cooled sugar syrup, and water in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. Or transfer to a shallow metal pan and freeze until slushy, about 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to keep large ice crystals from forming. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container and press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface. Cover with a tight-fitting plastic lid and freeze until ready to serve, up to 3 days.
FIGS
Grilled Figs in Vin Santo Over Ricotta Ice Cream
MAKES 4 SERVINGS (4 CUPS OF ICE CREAM)
There are hundreds of fig varieties, from green-skinned Smyrna and Calimyrna figs to purple-skinned Mission figs. All have a teardrop shape and an abundance of edible little crunchy seeds. When sliced, ripe figs ooze with nectar, which browns deliciously on the grill. A glaze of honey and vin santo, Tuscany’s sweet holy wine, makes grilled figs even more divine. Serve with the ricotta ice cream and almond or hazelnut biscotti.
INGREDIENTS:
Vanilla-Honey Ricotta Ice Cream:
1 container (15 ounces) whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 cup honey Pinch of salt
1 pint heavy cream
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Figs:
½ cup vin santo
¼ cup honey
12 large fresh figs, stemmed and halved lengthwise
DIRECTIONS:
For the ice cream: In a food processor, combine the ricotta, honey, and salt. Puree until completely smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add the cream and vanilla and pulse until blended. Transfer to an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container and press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface. Cover with a tight-fitting plastic lid and freeze until ready to serve, up to 3 days.
For the figs: Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, about 400°F. In a small bowl, whisk together the vin santo and honey. Add the halved figs and gently toss until coated all over. Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Or, if the bars of your grate are spaced far apart, preheat and oil a grill screen to prevent the figs from falling into the fire. Grill the figs, cut-side down, directly over the heat until nicely grill-marked, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip, brush the cut sides of the figs again with the vin santo mixture, and grill until nicely marked on the rounded side, 1 to 2 minutes.
Scoop the ice cream into bowls, top with the grilled figs, and drizzle with the remaining vin santo mixture.
Chapter 14
Cheese, Other Dairy Foods & Eggs
Milk and eggs, and the products made from them, are the only forms of protein that are not commonly grilled. It’s not hard to see why. Milk products are either liquid, or become fluid when exposed to heat (for example, cheese and ice cream), making it difficult to keep them on a grill grate. And eggs curdle when exposed to intense heat.
So why try? For one thing, grilling unlikely ingredients is one of the things this book is about; and for another, quiche baked over an open fire is mind-boggling and grilled ice cream sandwiches are a blast.
Milk has to be made solid in order to grill it, which means there are three options for grilled dairy products: cheese, ice cream, and custard.
Cheese
Milk is a matrix of protein,