Raw Milk Ice Cream + Bourbon Carmel
I found raw milk to be shocking when I first tried it. It's nothing like the civilized flavors we've become used to in our pasteurized, homogeneous lives. Drinking raw milk definitely exposes you to it's unique terroir... which is my polite way of saying that you'll always be acutely aware that it comes from a cow. But hey, that's not a bad thing. It's thick and creamy from the sweet-eyed Jerseys, and smooth and mild from the towering Holsteins. Tasting milk like this makes me annoyed that they put those cute farm pictures on industrial milk labels, I mean, the industrial food complex has essentially censored out all of the cultural flavors that our grandparents knew and loved. Now, we have to go to mom and pop farms or little indie food co-ops to get the stuff that cows freely offer us in the first place.
Fortunately for those of us who aren't used raw milk, it comes out tasting less abrasive in ice cream form. Add a generous drizzle of bourbon caramel and you might find that introducing yourself into the wild flavors of raw milk can be really quite sweet.
Raw Milk Ice Cream
1 quart raw Jersey cream 2 c raw Jersey milk 1 c evaporated cane juice crystals 1 tsp vanilla
Mix ingredients well and place in an ice cream maker for 25 minutes or until thick (the texture of soft serve.) Place in a freezer-friendly container and freeze for at least an hour.
Bourbon Caramel
2 c sugar 1/2 c butter 1 c heavy cream (raw works fine, but its up to you) 3 tbs good bourbon
I have adapted this recipe from Beth Kirby's instructions for lapsang souchong caramel sauce, which you should definitely try. My adaptation has you skip the tea and cream infusion and start by melting the sugar over medium heat, add the butter 1 tbs at a time, being careful not to splash the buttery magma on yourself. When all the butter is incorporated, remove the pot from the heat and slowly stir in the cream. Then return to heat and allow it to bubble until you reach 230 degrees F. Then strain your caramel sauce into a heat-safe container. Wait for the caramel to cool some, and then stir in your bourbon. For goodness sake, DO NOT touch the caramel until it is cool. The first time I made this, I burnt the living crap out of my finger because I couldn't control myself.
Enjoy on ice cream, in coffee, or however you like.
