Frosted fruits are making a comeback this winter

The blockbusters of the 1970s, Ice Fruits are experiencing a new Ice Age. A little vintage, riding the tsunami of trompe l’oeil desserts that are sweeping the web; here they come out of the freezer, all beautiful, brand new. Because these neodesserts no longer have much in common with the laboriously frosted lemons and oranges of our childhoods, the buzz of plaid-tablecloth bistros. Today they are style exercises, creative objects, surprises from the chef. As a proof, the co-founder of Une glace à Paris boutiques, Emmanuel Rion, who was awarded the titles of world pastry champion in 1990 and the title of the best employee of the French ice cream salon in 2000, devotes a whole chapter to them in his book. Frostbitten, which melts the genre. For chef Anne-Sophie Pic, who prefaces this work, “ice cream reveals trends; it tells what the pastry has become using non-consensual ingredients (flowers, spices, tea, etc.). And added: “I love Emanuele’s bias towards a decidedly feminine ice cream that is sensual and bold in its flavor combinations. […] It makes it easy to approach with easily accessible recipes and encourages you to be adventurous.” Tips and tricks from this turbo-pastry chef to get you started.

The best ingredients

“Everything is allowed! The key is to choose healthy, ripe fruit, unprocessed after harvest and preferably organic. Citrus fruits, exotic fruits and even a small pumpkin, we are spoiled for choice. For example, bananas lend themselves very well to training. its body is pleasant at -8°C or -10°C. You can also have fun with kiwi. Then, of course, you should use dairy products, spices, etc. quality. Because we only make good sorbets and good ice creams with great ingredients.”

Semi-sweet, whole fruit to enjoy

“The trick with citrus fruits is to keep the peels after they are cut and pitted. To do this, put them in a pot with cold water and bring to a boil. Drain them and repeat the process three times in a row to remove the bitterness from the peel. Then prepare syrup (500 g of sugar for 50 kl of water). Immerse the roosters in this boiling syrup and let it rest for 12 hours. Heat the syrup again, add the citrus fruits again, and so on three or four times. It takes time, but the interesting thing is that with this semi-pastry technique, it is possible to eat the whole frozen fruit after picking it.”

Take time to mature

“Leaving the products to ripen in the refrigerator for at least four hours is an important step. this allows the dry ingredients (such as powdered milk) to fully hydrate and the sugars to absorb and stabilize the water. Then, before freezing, blend the mixture using an immersion blender. This is the secret to achieving smoothness, lightness, fine texture and optimal aroma development.

We are stabilizing.

To obtain “Pro” ice, the use of a stabilizer is necessary. It prevents the formation of ice crystals, improves air entrainment during mixing, promotes expansion, strengthens ingredients and gives a smooth finished product. You can find them in specialty stores or on the Internet. But you can also replace it with gelatin leaves of equal weight. Soak the leaves in a large bowl of cold water in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, then drain and add to the preparation at the end of cooking. Another little secret for melting ice creams and sorbets is the use of atomized glucose, i.e. powdered glucose syrup. It prevents crystallization and lowers the freezing point.”

The right tools

“You don’t have to have a professional turbine or a chef’s Pacojet to get a ‘wow’ result, an ice cream maker is enough.” The important thing is that it is powerful enough (about 180 W) with a good rotation speed of the blades. The faster the latter, the more beautiful the texture of your ice cream will be. For good turbine performance, the temperature should be reduced to between -4 and -6°C and allowed for 20-30 minutes. But you can also just make granita. In this case, count 400 g of pulp for 100 to 150 g of cane syrup. Once the mixture has cooled in the container, scrape it with a whisk or fork to create small, deliciously flavored flakes. Another very useful accessory is a probe thermometer that perfectly monitors cooking and cooling temperatures.”

Perfect case

Whether the shells are plain (in this case, wash them well) or semi-sweet, they should be kept in the freezer during the preparation of the recipe, so that they hold together well and avoid when filling with sorbet, ice or granita, the temperature difference does not melt everything; And we remember to refrigerate the stuffed shells 15 minutes before tasting for the ideal texture and perfect expression of the aromas.”

Reversal of associations

“Don’t hesitate to use fresh herbs, spices or even bergamot, ginger to enhance the flavors… For example, Sichuan pepper works very well on a citrus base, while wild Madagascar pepper is delicious with peach sorbet. You can really have fun, you just have to let your imagination run wild.”