Tom Hunt has turned gherkin brine into a savoury ice-cream, a sweet-and-sour combination that is possibly one of the quirkiest flavours out there. The recipe, inspired by the pickleback cocktail, is epic served with waffles and bacon, and is one for true pickle fanatics.
A quirky flavour inspired by the pickleback
While researching gherkins for a Food Filter column last year, Hunt came across Kühne's recipe for pickled cucumber ice-cream and could not resist. The cocktail used as inspiration is the pickleback, made with pickle juice and a spirit such as whisky, tequila or vodka. That same punchy, sweet-and-sour combination comes together to make possibly the quirkiest ice-cream flavour you ever come across.
The ice-cream is delicious in a cone and topped with a gherkin, and out of this world when served with waffles, bacon and maple syrup.
How to make pickled cucumber and vodka ice-cream
This is one for the true gherkin fanatic, with a wild and funky flavour that tricks the mind with a rollercoaster of unexpected tastes. It is sweet and dilly, but also tart and sour, with a lingering complexity from all the spices used to make the pickles. Fortified with a classic, creamy custard base, it is best served with savoury waffles.
Ingredients: 1 egg, 70g sugar, 100ml milk, 250ml double cream, 10g dill (finely chopped), 10ml pickle juice, 20ml vodka (or rum, tequila or whisky), 4 ice-cream cones (to serve), 4 pickles (to serve).
In a bowl, whisk the egg, sugar, milk and cream until well combined, then pour into a thick saucepan and cook, stirring continuously, over a very low heat until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Take care not to let it catch on the bottom, but, if it does, simply pour the custard through a fine sieve without scraping the bottom of the pan. Take off the heat, stir in the dill and pickle juice, then stir in the vodka.
Blend smooth, then churn in an ice-cream machine or transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least five hours, stirring every 30 minutes to break up any ice crystals. Serve at once, or, if serving the next day or thereafter, pop the ice-cream in the fridge for 30-45 minutes (or leave it out at room temperature for 15 minutes) to soften. Serve in cones and topped with a gherkin.
