Chocolate Shiso Ice Cream

Chocolate Shiso Ice Cream

I have been interested in Japanese cuisine for a very long time. I find the exotic ingredients and techniques fascinating. I try to incorporate Japanese ingredients into my cooking at every opportunity. This eagerness to experiment with Japanese ingredients led me to discover how chocolate and shiso pair as a brilliant flavor combination.

Shiso also known as red perilla is actually a herb native to China. This member of the mint family was brought over to Japan around 700 or 800 AD, where it then acquired its Japanese name "shiso". (McGee 404-405) Shiso is used with sushi, sashimi, grilled meats and fish, and as garnish in Japan. In Korean cuisine green perilla is often used as a lettuce wrap. In China shiso is used as a medicinal ingredient to cure a slew of health issues. So perilla is popular in Asia, but why is it so common in North America?

Despite shiso being more prevalent in Asian cuisine, shiso can be found all over the United States. In fact earlier this year I spotted shiso growing in a public park in Louisville, Kentucky among other local plants and weeds. If you are having trouble finding shiso, check out your local Asian market, they are usually sold in the fresh produce section.


Chocolate Shiso Ice Cream


Chocolate Shiso Ice Cream

Ingredients



  • 1 & 1/2 c Whole milk
  • 1 & 1/2 c Heavy cream
  • 6 Large egg yolks
  • 1/3 c Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 c Sugar
  • 1/4 c Corn syrup
  • 2 c Shiso, packed and processed
Cooking Directions

  1. Combine milk, cream, 3/4 c sugar, chopped shiso, and cocoa powder in a heavy bottom sauce pan.
  2. Bring to a simmer and let the sugar dissolve then turn off the heat.
  3. Let rest for 30 minutes.
  4. Combine 1/4 c sugar, corn syrup, and egg yolks in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
  5. Temper the eggs with milk mixture.
  6. Transfer the eggs back into the pan and heat up until an instant read themometer reads 180F. Turn off the heat immediately, pour through a fine strain into a new metal container and transfer to an ice bath.
  7. Let the ice cream base sit in the refrigerator over night.
  8. Follow your ice cream maker's directions and spin the base until thick. Freeze and then serve as desired.
Total Time: 1 hour + Rest Overnight
Citations and Further Readings:
  • Behr, Edward. " Labiatae: Herbs of the Mint Family." The Art of Eating. The Art of Eating, 12 May 2015. Web.
  • Kawasaki, MIki. "Do You Know Your Tsukemono? A Guide to Japanese Pickles." Serious Eats. Serious Eats, 6 June 2014. Web.
  • McGee, Harold. On food and cooking: the science and lore of the kitchen. Simon and Schuster, 2007.
  • Mouritsen, Ole G. "Preparation of Sushi." SUSHI Food for the eye, the body & the soul. Springer US, 2009. 152-189.

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