Savoury Ice Creams
“It was just the other day when I was reminded about the savoury ice-cream combinations I used to serve. It’s with gratitude to that guest that I have decided to share these unfamiliar recipes with you this month. It’s important to remember that a guest is not a guinea pig.”
As I have often found, and I’m sure you too will discover, some combinations are simply not worthy of a revisit. I went through a phase when everything I could put my hands on went into some or other savoury ice-cream form. This chapter didn’t seem to last long and I haven’t made these ice creams for a while now. The end result of a good, savoury ice cream should be memorable – it’s easy to achieve and it’s certainly unique. We forget how often we eat hot-and-cold combinations. Just give it some thought.
First up is a mix of savoury and sweet in the form of a Maltabella ice cream. It’s the porridge our mothers ‘sold’ to us, as children, as chocolate porridge. It’s actually malted grain sorghum. Serve this ice cream with stewed fruit and/or prunes, and a drizzle of Amarula cream for a sensational end to a breakfast. - Maltabella Ice Cream Recipe
We all love a well-roasted, caramelised butternut or pumpkin soup. Why not include a dollop of red-onion ice cream to add a savoury sweetness that will take the norm to a remarkable level of interest on the palate? Adding this to any special menu - think wedding - will get your guests’ attention. - Red-onion Ice Cream Recipe
As a South African I couldn’t resist making a heavily-flavoured, coriander-and-black-pepper-biltong ice cream. Serve this in a bowl of ultra-creamy potato soup with a drizzle of chive oil, sliced biltong and many finely-sliced and crisped-up leeks. It’s a new-age, South-African take on a vichyssoise. - Biltong Ice Cream Recipe
The KwaZulu-Natal Midlands has the best suppliers of produce right here on our doorstep so it makes sense to be showcasing them. Locally-produced “Parma ham”, churned into a robust-flavoured ice cream, goes magically with a thick, bright, fresh pea soup. Add a few dried-out “Parma-ham” pieces for something special. It remains one of my favourite soups. - "Parma Ham" Ice Cream Recipe
On to an ice cream that will probably surprise most readers… It was, however, a talking point every evening that it featured on my menu. Baked-bean ice cream! I served it with a potato and garlic based soup, garlic oil, and dried-out tomato seeds to add natural acidity. Try it! I have little doubt that you will find it interesting on all counts. - Baked-bean Ice Cream
A courgette (baby-marrow) soup will never be the same without Parmesan ice cream. The Parmesan gives this dish a savoury kick of note. - Parmesan Ice Cream Recipe
It’s imperative to experiment with these ice creams before serving them. Too much ice cream can ruin the entire bowl of soup. The rule of thumb is to start small and work from there. Also, make your soups a tad thicker to allow for the extra liquid from the ice cream when it melts in the warm soup.
I hope these savoury dishes inspire you to think out of the box when it comes to ice creams. Maybe you’ll even consider buying your own ice-cream machine. It’s unnecessary to go completely industrial when it comes to an appliance that does the job. While I am setting up Jackie Cameron School of Food and Wine, and leaving the buying of equipment to the last minute, I was thankful that Jenny Hall lent me her ice-cream machine. She’s a great family friend and the machine helped make creating these dishes a lot easier. This, however, isn’t to say you can’t make them by hand.
Here’s to your guests screaming for more!
Visit www.jackiecameron.co.za to find out more about my women’s chef range - men’s to come shortly; remember JACKIE CAMERON COOKS AT HOME; and all my foodie adventures. I always look forward to hearing from you: jackie@jackiecameron.co.za
Jackie Cameron soon-to-be owner of Jackie Cameron School of Food & Wine situated in Hilton, KZN - email for enquires. For the latest on local foodie news add me as a friend on FACEBOOK. Find me on Twitter - @jackie_cameron and INSTAGRAM: jackiecameronincolour
All Photos taken by Karen Edward’s Photography
082 441 7429 / karene@bundunet.com/ www.karenephotographysa.com