Prunes And Armagnac Ice Cream Food

PRUNES IN ARMAGNAC

Steps:

• Place 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags, add the prunes and honey, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 3 minutes to plump the prunes.
• Pour the prunes and all the liquid into a medium bowl and stir in the Armagnac, vanilla, orange juice, vanilla bean, and cinnamon sticks. With a vegetable peeler, cut 4 large strips of zest from 1 lemon and add to the mixture. Cut the lemon in half, cut 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices, and add to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 6 to 12 hours. (If you're not serving the prunes that day, refrigerate them in their liquid.)
• To serve, place the prunes in shallow dessert bowls and serve cold, at room temperature, or slightly warmed, spooning the macerating liquid over them. Add a scoop of ice cream, a drizzle of Armagnac, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkling of grated lemon zest. (You'll be surprised how much flavor this adds!) Serve immediately.

PRUNE-ARMAGNAC ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Place the quartered prunes in a small saucepan with the Armagnac and 1 tablespoons of sugar. Heat over medium-low heat just until the Armagnac starts to bubble. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand at least 2 hours or several days in the fridge.
• When ready to make the ice cream, purée the prunes (be sure to save about 8 prune pieces for garnish) and their liquid in a food processor along with the sour cream, milk, the remaining 6 Tbsps. sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Pulse the mixture until it's almost smooth but leave a few little bits of prunes remaining. I do this by reserving a few prunes & throwing them in for just a few pulses.
• Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for about an hour (minimum), then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Serve garnished with a dusting of cocoa powder & a macerated prune piece on the side.

SEARED FOIE GRAS AND SAVORY ROSEMARY WAFFLE WITH PRUNE-ARMAGNAC ICE CREAM, CARAMELIZED PINEAPPLE, AND VEAL REDUCTION

Steps:

• In a saucepan over high heat, reduce the veal or poultry stock down by half, or until it obtains sauce consistency.
• Clean the foie gras and remove the veins. Cut the lobes into 2-ounce medallions and score the surface of the foie gras in an x-pattern. Season the medallions with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over high heat. When pan is very hot, add foie gras and sear on both sides until medium rare.
• Slice the pineapple into 1/8-inch thick slices. Remove the core and sprinkle the pineapple with sugar. Saute the pineapple in a skillet with a minimal amount of oil until the pineapple is golden brown.
• To serve, place the pineapple ring in the middle of the plate. Next, place a wedge of waffle on the pineapple ring then the foie gras on top of that. Finish off with a scoop of the ice cream and chervil plush. Drizzle a little of the veal reduction around the plate and serve immediately.
• Sift together all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the yolks, 1 at a time. Next, add the milk, followed by the melted butter.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold them into the batter. Finally, fold in the chopped rosemary.
• Make waffles in a waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Pour the chilled Creme Anglaise into an ice cream maker and churn until thick but still just soft. At this point, add the heavy cream, Armagnac, prunes, and syrup. Continue to churn until thick, and then transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Freeze until ready to use.
• Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds into a heavy saucepan. Add milk to pan, and bring to a gentle boil. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until thick. Pour the milk over, whisking continuously. Return to the pan and cook over gentle heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain through a fine-mesh conical sieve. Serve hot or cold.
• Boil 6 cups of water in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the tea bags. Let infuse for 2 minutes, and then add the prunes. Cover the pan and let stand at room temperature overnight.
• In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil. Set syrup aside to cool and then refrigerate.
• The following day, strain the prunes and put them in a large glass jar. Pour the Armagnac over. Add the cold syrup. Let macerate for 1 month in a cool place.

ARMAGNAC-POACHED PRUNES WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Combine Armagnac, sugar, 1/2 cup water, cinnamon and ginger in medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Stir mixture over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add prunes and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer prune mixture to medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours. (Can be prepared 4 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• Remove cinnamon, ginger and vanilla bean from prune mixture. Divide prune mixture among 6 bowls. Top with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

PRUNE ICE CREAM WITH ARMAGNAC

Steps:

• Place a medium metal bowl over an ice bath. Combine the crème fraîche and 6 tablespoons of sugar in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
• Meanwhile, whisk the yolks with the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl until mixture is thick and light. Whisking constantly, gradually pour about 2/3 of the hot crème-fraîche mixture into the yolks to temper them. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard has thickened and coats the back of the spoon. Pour the custard into the metal bowl and stir occasionally until it has cooled. Strain the custard and refrigerate for at least a few hours. Overnight chilling will result in the best flavor and creamiest texture.
• Place a container, preferably metal, that will hold the finished ice cream in the freezer. Pour the custard into an ice-cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the ice cream is the texture of soft serve, mix in the prunes and Armagnac, then transfer to the chilled container and place in the freezer to harden.

CHOCOLATE PRUNE ARMAGNAC ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine the prunes and 1/3 cup water and simmer the mixture for 5 to 7 minutes, or until almost all of the liquid is evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat, add the Armagnac, and let the prunes macerate for 3 hours. Drain the prunes in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving the liquid, and chop them coarse.
• In a bowl whisk together the sugar, the cornstarch, the yolks, and a pinch of salt, add the milk, scalded, in a stream, whisking constantly with a wooden spoon. Boil the custard, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, add the vanilla and the chocolate, and whisk the mixture until the chocolate is melted. Transfer the custard mixture to a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and let it cool, stirring. Stir in the cream and the prunes with the reserved liquid and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

GLACE AUX PRUNEAUX (GASCON PRUNE ICE CREAM)

Steps:

• Ten days before you plan to serve the ice cream, combine the prunes and the Armagnac in a covered container and set in a cool place.
• When ready to make the ice cream, set aside 6 or 8 prunes.
• Place the remaining prunes and the Armagnac in a food process or blender and process to a corse puree and set aside.
• In a saucepan, combine milk and 2/3 of the sugar, bring just to the boil over medium heat, and remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, beat the remaining sugar with the egg yolks until pale yellow and thick (don't skimp on the stirring here).
• Slowly temper the yolk mixture with the milk/sugar mixture until combined in the saucepan.
• Return ot medium heat and cook, stirring constantly until mixture coats the back of a spoon (about 175 degrees on a candy thermometer).
• Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• When completely cool, stir in the prune mixture, and pour the combination into the bowl of an ice cream maker.
• Follow machine directions.
• Serve, garnishing with reserved prunes.