serves
6
prep
45 minutes
cook
20 minutes
difficulty
Mid
serves
6
people
preparation
45
minutes
cooking
20
minutes
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
- ½ tsp mastic beads (see Note)
- 250 g caster sugar
- 500 ml (2 cups) milk
- 250 g sahlab powder (see Note)
- 2 tbsp orange blossom water
- 3 litres liquid nitrogen
- 100 g crème fraîche
- chocolate mint (see Note) or regular mint leaves, to serve
Strawberry and moghrabieh crumb
- vegetable oil, to deep-fry
- 150 g cooked moghrabieh (see Note)
- icing sugar, to dust
- 80 g dehydrated strawberries (see Note)
- 50 g pistachios
- 40 g sumac (see note)
- 30 g strawberry popping candy (see Note)
You will need to begin this recipe 1 day ahead.
Instructions
Using a mortar and pestle, crush the mastic and ½ tsp of the caster sugar into a powder, then place in a medium saucepan. Add the remaining sugar, milk and sahlab. Place over a medium heat and cook, whisking continuously, for 10–15 minutes or until smooth and thick. Add the orange blossom water and whisk until combined. Divide the sahlab ice-cream base evenly between two bowls and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, until cool.
Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or a deep saucepan to 160°C. Deep-fry the cooked moghrabieh, stirring occasionally, for 3–4 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towel and dust lightly with icing sugar. Place the moghrabieh in a mortar and pestle and pound until coarsely ground. Add strawberries and pistachios and continue to pound until broken up and well combined. Add sumac and popping candy and mix to combine. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
To make the ice-cream, remove the sahleb ice-cream base from the fridge and place in a mortar and pestle. Pound for 5–10 minutes or until a smooth consistency. Slowly begin to add the liquid nitrogen, one ladle at a time. Working quickly, as liquid nitrogen evaporates rapidly, continue to pound until the ice-cream freezes. Add the crème fraîche and mix until combined.
Place a scoop of ice-cream into the strawberry and moghrabieh crumb and roll around until evenly coated. Serve immediately garnished with chocolate mint.
Note
• Mastic beads are the dried resin of the mastic tree and can be found in European and Middle Eastern delicatessens.
• Sahlab is ground orchid root and is available in Middle Eastern delicatessens.
• Chocolate mint is a type of mint that tastes, bizarrely, like chocolate. It is available from gardening centres.
• Liquid nitrogen can be purchased from specialty suppliers.
• Moghrabieh is large type of couscous also referred to as Israeli couscous or pearl couscous. You'll need 50–60 g dry to yield about 150 g cooked moghrabieh.
• Dehydrated strawberries can be purchased from health food stores.
• Popping candy can be purchased from specialty food suppliers.
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.
