Peanut ice-cream

Although the Chinese don't usually end a meal with a pudding as such, we've gone the laowai (foreigner) route and fashioned some of our sweet favourites from the street and the Chinese snacking repertoire into recipes that we call 'dessert'.

Credit: Leanne Kitchen

• serves

  6-8

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 500 ml (17 fl oz/ 2 cups) cream (35% fat)
• 375 ml (12 ½ fl oz/ 1½ cups) full-cream (whole) milk
• 6 large egg yolks
• 230 g (8 oz/1 cup firmly packed) soft brown sugar
• 90 g (3 oz/ ⅓ cup) smooth peanut butter
• 80 g (2¾ oz/ ½ cup) raw, skinned peanuts, roasted and crushed

Instructions

Combine the cream and milk in a saucepan and slowly bring just to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, pour the cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture and stir to combine well. Place the mixture in a clean saucepan, then, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook over a medium–low heat for about 8 minutes, or until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Do not let the mixture get too hot or it will curdle. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

Put the peanut butter in a heatproof bowl, pour about 250 ml (8 fl oz/1 cup) of the hot custard into the bowl and stir to combine well. Add this to the remaining custard mixture in the pan, then stir well. Strain, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until well chilled. Stir in the crushed peanuts, then freeze in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place in an airtight container and transfer to the freezer. The ice-cream will keep, frozen and covered, for up to 1 week. Serve with watermelon in rosewater syrup, if desired.

Image and recipe extracted from The Real Food of China by Leanne Kitchen & Antony Suvalko, published by Hardie Grant Books (RRP $69.95). Available in stores nationally and at the SBS Shop.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.