I have long been a fan of Chef Michael Solomonov, the Philadelphia-based, James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurant entrepreneur who is probably best known for his Israeli restaurant Zahav. In what is part memoir and part cookbook, Solomonov and his business partner and co-author Steven Cook, share beautiful recipes and personal stories of Israeli cuisine in the new cookbook Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking.
This cookbook has a little something for everyone. For those that like to understand the origins of dishes, it provides interesting, and easy-to-understand history. For those that are food-porn addicts, the photos grab you immediately, with brightly hued spices, Israeli landscapes and often amusing photos of Solomonov cooking. And for those that are all about the food (like me) you will be bookmarking recipe after recipe to add to your to-make list.
Some highlights of the cookbook include Solomonov’s tips for making the perfect hummus, and how to dress up hummus with everything from fava beans to mushrooms to lamb; an entire chapter on preparing rice, including crispy Persian rice; several variations of chicken soup including a Yemenite chicken soup; and even a “chat” with spice expert Lior Lev Sercasz of La Boite in New York City.
But one of my favorite recipes was a coffee-flavored ice cream. Not just any coffee-flavored ice cream – this one is made with fine, Turkish coffee and cardamom. Below Chef Solomonov shares this recipe for you try out in your own kitchen.
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This recipe is excerpted from “Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking,” © 2015 by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Turkish Coffee Ice Cream
For me, the best ice cream is coffee ice cream. It is a perfect balance of bitter and sweet. Our version uses Turkish-style coffee and a bit of cardamom to add Arabic flavor. Because the coffee is so finely ground, we don’t strain it all out before we freeze it, which gives the finished ice cream a nice speckled look and texture.
- Total Time: 24 hours
- Yield: 1 quart
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ⅔ cup milk
- ¼ cup ground Turkish coffee
- 5 cardamom pods
- 6 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup sugar
Instructions
- Combine the cream, milk, coffee and cardamom in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mixture steep for 10 minutes.
- Combine the egg yolks and sugar in a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. (The bottom of the bowl shouldn’t touch the water.) Whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture falls from the whisk in ribbons when you lift it out of the bowl, about 2 minutes. Add the cream mixture and stir with a rubber spatula, scraping the sides to prevent coagulation, until the mixture reaches 180°F.
- Strain out some of the coffee grounds, pour into a container, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes + chill overnight
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: Israeli
Of course, wouldn’t you know it and that is just the way it is….this past week I cleaned out my spice box and tossed out all my unopened bags of cardamom pods because I never found a recipe to use them…and suddenly this recipe pops up! Where can I find another Indian grocery store soon?
Oh Stu, isn’t that always the way?! Here’s another recipe with cardamom to make it worth your while!