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Wattleseed ice cream

Custard ice cream with roasted native wattleseed

Roasted wattleseed, from a few edible acacias of the Australian inland, has been ground into flour by Aboriginal people for millennia, and today chefs in Sydney and Melbourne use it for its flavour of coffee, chocolate and hazelnut. Steeped in a rich custard and churned, it makes a lovely ice cream to serve with pavlova or a slice of passionfruit sponge. Buy roasted, ground wattleseed from a native food supplier; many acacias are not edible. A common mistake is overheating the custard so it scrambles; take it off at 82 °C. Chef's tip: steep the wattleseed in the hot milk for 20 minutes before making the custard.
Total time
45 min
Difficulty
medium
Serves
8
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Ingredients

Serves8

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Method

0/5 done
  1. Step 1: Warm 1 ¾ cups whole milk and half the ¾ cup double cream with 2 tbsp roasted ground wattleseed until steaming, then cover and leave to steep for 20 minutes.

    25 min
  2. Step 2: Whisk 6 egg yolks, 5 oz caster sugar and 1 pinch salt until pale.

    3 min
  3. Step 3: Reheat the milk, pour it onto the yolks while whisking, then return to the pan. Stir over a low heat for 6–8 minutes until the custard coats the back of the spoon and reaches 180°F. Do not let it boil.

    10 min
  4. Step 4: Strain through a fine sieve (keep some specks if you like) into a bowl, stir in the rest of the ¾ cup double cream and cool.

    5 min
  5. Step 5: Chill for at least 4 hours, then churn in an ice cream maker until thick. Freeze for 2 hours until firm enough to scoop.

    240 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
330 kcal
Protein
5 g
Carbs
24 g
Fat
24 g
Fibre
0 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does wattleseed ice cream take?
About 45 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
What can I use instead of whole milk?
Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
What can I use instead of double cream?
Whipping cream, same amount (less rich; whips softer).

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