Popcorn Gelato
- 1,530 grams whole milk
- 225 grams butter-flavored Orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn (3 bags), popped
- 200 grams white chocolate
- 5 grams fine sea salt
- 4 liters liquid nitrogen (see Sources, page 309)
- Put the milk and popcorn in a pot set over medium-high heat.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the mixture steep for 30 minutes.
- Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the solids with the back of a ladle.
- The strainer will catch the coarse corn particles while allowing the milk and the broken-down popcorn solids to pass through.
- Discard the residue in the strainer and reserve the popcorn milk (you should have about 1,030 grams).
- Put the white chocolate in a Mason jar and lightly screw on the lid.
- Place the jar in a pressure cooker and add water to fill the chamber by one-quarter.
- The water creates steam in the chamber and forms a double-boiler pressure cooker.
- Seal the pressure cooker and bring up to high pressure.
- Cook the chocolate on high pressure for 30 minutes.
- Let the pressure dissipate naturally.
- Carefully remove the jar and let it cool.
- When the jar is cool enough to handle, remove the chocolate from it by running a butter knife or small offset spatula along the inside of the jar and gently shaking the chocolate out onto a plate.
- Alternatively, place the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl in a 250F (120C) oven for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it turns a deep golden brown.
- Let cool.
- Reserve the caramelized white chocolate.
- This step can be done in advance.
- The cooled caramelized white chocolate can be wrapped in plastic and kept at room temperature for up to a month.
- Chop the caramelized white chocolate into small pieces and put them in a blender.
- Prepare an ice bath.
- Pour the popcorn milk into a medium pan set over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
- Pour the hot milk over the chocolate.
- Turn the blender on low.
- Sprinkle in the salt and increase the speed to high.
- Puree the mixture for 1 minute.
- It should be smooth and creamy.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and cool the mixture in the ice bath.
- Refrigerate the ice cream base for at least 4 hours.
- Place a bowl for the gelato in the freezer.
- Fill a Styrofoam container halfway with liquid nitrogen.
- Pour the ice cream base into a whipped cream canister.
- Charge it with two nitrous oxide charges, then extrude the base in short bursts into the nitrogen.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the gelato, which will now look like popcorn.
- Place the frozen popcorn pieces in the frozen bowl and set them in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- The gelato is too cold to eat when it first comes out of the liquid nitrogen and would cause frostbite on the inside of your mouth.
- It has to warm up in the freezer for 15 minutes to become edible.
- Alternatively, you can freeze the base using a traditional ice cream maker.
- It will keep for up to 1 week in the freezer.
milk, butter, white chocolate, salt, liquid nitrogen
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/popcorn-gelato-374210 (may not work)