Candied Bacon Ice Cream Food

MAPLE BACON ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over moderate heat, reduce the maple syrup to 1/2 cup. Set aside.
• Over moderate heat in a medium saucepan, heat the half-and-half with 1/2 cup sugar until hot and just bubbling around the edges.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks with 1/2 cup sugar, then add 1 cup hot half-and-half mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour the whole egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon and registers 170 degrees F on a thermometer. Do not let boil. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl and whisk in the maple syrup. Cover with parchment paper letting the paper touch the surface of the mixture, to prevent a skin from forming. Chill the mixture until very cold, at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Line a rimmed sheet pan with heavy foil. Place a baking rack over the lined sheet pan and arrange the bacon slices across the rack next to each other. Bake until crispy, about 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, finely chop.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Place the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a fork, until the sugar starts to melt. Stop stirring and cook until the sugar is a golden caramel color, about 10 minutes. Add the bacon and stir to coat. Pour onto prepared baking sheet and let harden. Chop the candied bacon into small pieces.
• Freeze the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, 20 to 30 minutes and at the last minute, add the candied bacon and let churn until just combined. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze.
• BYOC: Try adding some cayenne pepper to your chopped bacon before you stir it into the melted sugar.
• Special equipment: candy thermometer, ice cream maker.

SWEET CORN ICE CREAM, SALTY POPPED CORN AND CARAMEL-CANDIED BACON

Steps:

• For the sweet corn ice cream: Heat a heavy, large saucepan over medium heat. Add the cream, milk, vanilla beans, corn cobs and kernels, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a scald, being careful not to curdle the cream. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks with the sugar in a large bowl, until fully incorporated, reaching a creamy, golden consistency. Once the milk mixture comes to a boil, strain it into a large bowl. Remove the corn cobs, kernels and vanilla beans. Remove the vanilla bean seeds by scraping the beans with the back of your knife. Add the seeds to the milk mixture. Discard the corn cobs and use a ladle or a wooden spoon to push any liquids through the remaining solids, into the milk mixture. Discard the solids. Add the salt. Slowly add the milk mixture to the eggs, whisking constantly as you pour, tempering it to make sure the eggs don't scramble.
• Quickly wipe out the original saucepan and return the milk mixture to the pan. Put the pan over medium heat, stirring consistently until you reach a thickened consistency, that coats the back of a spoon, about 3 to 5 minutes. Strain the ice cream mixture into a new bowl and immediately put the bowl over an ice bath, stirring, to cool quickly. Once chilled down completely, pour it into an ice cream machine and spin according to manufacturer's instructions. Remove the ice cream to a large container and put it in the freezer to help set up the right consistency.
• For the popcorn: Heat the olive oil in a medium-size saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn kernels and cover with a lid. Cook according to the package directions until the corn is fully popped. Once popped and still hot, salt generously. Set aside.
• Use a spoon to shape a scoop of ice cream onto each serving plate. Spoon some of the candied bacon generously over the ice cream on each plate and garnish with the popcorn. Taste!
• To a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add oil and bacon. Render the bacon until crunchy, about 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to be sure it's not sticking to the pan. Once fully crisp, pour off a little excess fat. Add the brown sugar to the bacon in the pan and stir it to dissolve and caramelize. Stir in the lemon juice and cream, and stir well to combine. Adjust consistency with more cream if needed.
• Yield: 1/4 cup

CANDIED BACON ICE CREAM

Steps:

• To candy the bacon, preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
• Lay the strips of bacon on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or aluminum foil, shiny side down.
• Sprinkle 1½-2 teaspoons of brown sugar evenly over each strip of bacon, depending on length.
• Bake for 12-16 minutes.
• Midway during baking, flip the bacon strips over and drag them through the dark, syrupy liquid that's collected on the baking sheet.
• Continue to bake until as dark as mahogany.
• Remove from oven and cool the strips on a wire rack.
• Once crisp and cool, chop into little pieces, about the size of grains of rice.
• (Bacon bits can be stored in an airtight container and chilled for a day or so, or stored in the freezer a few weeks ahead.).
• To make the ice cream custard, melt the butter in a heavy, medium-size saucepan.
• Stir in the brown sugar and half of the half-and-half.
• Pour the remaining half-and-half into a bowl set in an ice bath and set a mesh strainer over the top.
• In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks, then gradually add some of the warm brown sugar mixture to them, whisking the yolks constantly as you pour.
• Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
• Cook over low to moderate heat, constantly stirring and scraping the bottom with a heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.
• Strain the custard into the half-and-half, stirring over the ice bath, until cool.
• Add liquor, vanilla and cinnamon, if using.
• Refrigerate the mixture.
• Once thoroughly chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Add the bacon bits during the last moment of churning, or stir them in when you remove the ice cream from the machine.