Lemon Grass & Lychee Ice Cream with Ginger Cookie Tuiles

Directions

To Prepare Lemongrass

1. Cut off the top few inches to remove any brown and the root end.

2. Very carefully cut the lemongrass in half the full length of the lemongrass; using a rolling pin crush the lemongrass by rolling up and down. This helps to extract the oils.

3. Then cut into a few pieces and place in a 2 qt. pot with the milk and cream, adding just a pinch of salt.

4. Over a medium flame, gently scald the milk for 10 minutes but do not let it boil over, turn off heat, cover and let stand for 5 – 10 minutes.

5. In a large mixing bowl (large enough to hold all eggs and liquid), mix together the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla.

6. Whisk until the eggs begin to turn light yellow and are evenly mixed. Slowly pour the milk into the eggs while continuously mixing.

7. When all milk is incorporated, strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove any egg particles and lemongrass.

8. Return to the mixing bowl, add in the chopped lychee and place over a pot of low boiling water (steam bath) to slowly cook the mixture. Make sure that the bowl can fit halfway in the pot but does not touch the water.

9. Continue to stir while it cooks for approximately 15-20 minutes and the mixture reaches a thick consistency. If you have a kitchen thermometer, the stopping point is around 175-180 degrees.

10. Next, place the mixing bowl over an ice bath to cool it down and continue to stir; this makes the chilling process go much faster.

11. Once the mixture is cooled to about 75 degrees, transfer to a smaller container and place in the fridge to continue chilling (about 1 hour).

12. Now you are ready to pour the mixture into the ice cream machine (be sure not to fill all the way up or it will take longer to freeze evenly).

13. After 20 to 30 minutes you should be able to scrape out the ice cream into a freezer safe container to finish freezing.

Ginger Cookie Tuiles

1. Combine the flour and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer. Add the egg whites and mix on low speed using the paddle attachment.

2. Add the melted butter in a steady stream and mix until incorporated. Add the vanilla and ginger and mix until combined.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

4. Drop 1 teaspoon of the chilled batter onto a nonstick sheet pan and use an offset spatula to spread the batter into 3-inch circles or long strips. Repeat with the remaining batter.

5. Bake at 325°F for 7 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove the tuiles from the pan while still warm and let cool on the counter or another flat surface.

6. Scoop the ice cream into serving bowls and garnish with the ginger tuiles.