Wild ice cream recipes that I probably won’t ever attempt

I found a book called Ice Cream Galore by Caroline Barty that has some pretty off-the-wall recipes. These are all savory flavors meant to be served with fish or meat. I doubt that I will ever make these, so I’ll provide the original ingredient lists with the author’s commentary and leave them up to you to give them a try. Most contain no sugar and ought to be low carb, as-is.

Feta Cheese & Black Olive Ripple Ice Cream

I have served this ice cream to accompany broiled salmon fillets and it works wonderfully well. Put a spoonful on top of the warm salmon and allow it to melt and become a delicious sauce.

Makes just under 3 cups

4 oz feta cheese
1 cup crème fraîche
1¼ cups whipping cream
3 teaspoons tapenade (black olive paste)
Salt and ground white pepper

1. Put the feta, crème fraîche, and whipping cream in a food processor and process until smooth. Taste, then season with a little salt and ground white pepper.
2. Pour into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacture’s instructions until just on the point of freezing.
3. Spoon into a freezing container, then add the tapenade and swirl through the cream for a rippled effect. Freeze until hard, about 1-2 hours.
4. Soften at room temperature, 10-15 minutes, before serving.

Goat Cheese & Basil Ice Cream

Being a very thick mixture, this ice cream doesn’t churn well in an ice cream maker but it can be spooned into a freezing container and frozen immediately, I like to serve it in spoonfuls on top of a spicy tomato tart.

Makes just under 2 cups

10 oz goat cheese
½ cup crème fraîche
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon finely chopped basil

1. Mix together the goat cheese, crème fraîche, mayonnaise, and chopped basil until smooth.
2. Spoon into a freezing container and freeze until hard, about 1 hour.
3. Soften at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before serving - it is much harder than other ice creams.

TIP: Fresh goat cheese is mild in flavor with a lovely light, slightly whipped texture. It is normally sold in little pyramid-shaped cartons. Don’t try to make this ice cream with the harder, log-shaped goat cheese—the texture would be too grainy.

Ratatouille Ice Cream

Remember when seasoning this ice cream that it loses flavor when frozen so be bold with the salt and pepper. Serve in small glasses as an appetizer and garnish with fresh marjoram leaves.

Serves 4-6

2 cups good store-bought ratatouille (from health food shops)
1 cup plain yogurt
⅔ cup whipping cream, lightly whipped
Salt and ground pepper

1. Put the ratatouille in a food processor and process until smooth.
2. Pass through a fine sieve and stir in the plain yogurt and whipped cream. Taste, then season with salt and ground pepper.
3. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacture’s instructions until set (thick), then spoon into a suitable freezing container and freeze until hard (about 1 hour if making in a machine, but overnight if making by hand).
4. Soften at room temperature, 10-15 minutes before serving.

Horseradish Ice Cream

This is delicious served as a spoonful dropped into a warm tomato soup, or on the side with some smoked salmon or smoked eel.

Makes just under 2 cups

¾ cup cream cheese
¾ cup crème fraîche
4 teaspoons horseradish sauce
Pinch of salt and ground white pepper

1. In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, crème fraîche, mayonnaise, and horseradish sauce. Taste, then season with salt and ground white pepper.
2. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacture’s instructions for about 10 minutes until the mixture is thick, but not too frozen. Scoop into a small freezing container and freeze until hard (about 1 hour if making in a machine, but overnight if making by hand).
3. Soften at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving—it is much harder than other ice creams.

TIP: Remember the freezing process dulls the sweet and savory flavors so you need to be a bit bolder and slightly overseason with salt and pepper before freezing this ice cream.

Wasabi Ice Cream

This ice cream is not served alone but as a condiment to fish and meat dishes. It is especially good with sushi or a slice of two of rare beef tenderloin.

Makes just under 2 cups

1¼ cups crème fraîche
juice of ½ lemon
3 teaspoons wasabi paste (see tip)
Ground sea salt, to taste

1. Mix together the crème fraîche, lemon juice, and wasabi paste until smooth, then taste and season with salt.
2. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacture’s instructions until stiff, then scoop into a suitable freezing container and freeze until hard (almost at once if making in a machine, but 5-6 hours if making by hand).
3. Soften at room temperature, 10-15 minutes, before serving.

TIP: Wasabi is a Japanese horseradish that they serve with sushi. It is bright green and normally sold in tubes. Once opened, store in the refrigerator, where it will keep fresh for months. Wasabi is occasionally sold in powdered form—in which case, mix it with a little water as you would for powdered mustard.

Tomato Ice Cream

The key, as always, to a good fruit ice cream is the quality and ripeness of the fruit itself. Try to find some food vine-ripened tomatoes, or better still, home grown.

Makes just over 2 cups

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 lb ripe, flavorsome tomatoes, quartered
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons superfine sugar
1¼ cups whipping cream
Salt and ground black pepper

1. Put the olive oil in a saucepan and warm through. Add the chopped onion and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes until the onions are softened.
2. Add the tomatoes, garlic cloves, bay leaf, sugar and a grind or two of salt and ground black pepper. Cook over a low heat for at least 20 minutes until the tomatoes have softened to a pulp.
3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little before pressing through a sieve. Discard the seeds and skins.
4. Cool completely before stirring in the cream. Taste and check the seasoning.
5. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacture’s instructions until set (thick), then spoon into a suitable freezing container and freeze until hard (almost at once if making in a machine, but 5-6 hours if making by hand).
6. Soften at room temperature, 10-15 minutes, before serving.

TIP: If you cannot find ripe, flavorsome tomatoes add a tablespoon of tomato paste to the softened onions.