Fig and toasted sesame ice cream

This is a simple ice cream that plays with flavours of the Middle East, sesame seeds and figs. Simple ingredients that are paired together well in a simple recipe. The ice cream is chewy with all the seeds, lightly scented with the sesame seeds and lovely. the sugared figs are jammy and brighten up the ice cream beautifully. This is perfect seasonal ice cream that keeps the heat away.

Ducksoup tends to hide in my bookshelf. I do take it out and page through the wonderful recipes but it never reaches my kitchen till now. This is a book about a restaurant and the chefs that are constantly creating in their space. The recipes tend to lean towards the flavours of the Middle East, but it is also filled with other global dishes. The recipes are simple, but the technique is supreme and makes the ingredients shine. The book and restaurant is about " It’s this straightforwardness that I love about how we cook now that we have restaurants. We’ve thought about this over the years, about how to describe the way we often do things, and I suppose it comes down to this idea of intuitive assembly – it’s not necessarily cooking, as there is sometimes only a little of this. It’s just an understanding of how a handful of key ingredients or a simple cooking method can bring out a multitude of taste experiences.".This is a book that I should be cooking from more often.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

1/8 cup sesame seeds, a mix of white and black, if possible

1 1/2 cups cream

1 1/2 cups full-fat milk

1/2 cup superfine sugar

4 egg yolks

A pinch of salt

1 figs, stems removed and halved or quartered depending on size

2 tablespoons superfine sugar

In a large frying pan dry roast the sesame seeds till aromatic and lightly coloured, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove and cool. Remove 1 tablespoon of the seeds and pound to a powder in a mortar and pestle. Set aside.

Mix the cream, milk and sugar in a pot. Heat on a low flame.

Whip the eggs well till thickened and foamy.

Whisk the cream well. In a very thin stream, add the egg yolks, whipping continually. Whip the custard continually till it begins to thicken. Remove from the heat immediately and pour through a fine-mesh sieve. Add the poppy seeds and mix in well. Chill in the fridge.

Churn in an ice cream machine as per instructions on the machine. Store in the freezer.

While the ice cream is churning, mix the sugar and figs in a pot. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes till the sugar is melted and thickened. The figs will also cook and turn mushy. Do not make a jam; allow the figs to retain their shape and form. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Serve scoops of ice cream with some of the figs and sauce on top.