Burnt orange ice cream

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I found this recipe in my notes — I have a vague recollection of making it maybe 5 years ago, but re-finding it has motivated me to try it again (especially given the glowing comments). The recipe is originally from Bill Gross via Epicure. The oranges are prepared two days ahead, and the ice cream one day ahead.

INGREDIENTS

Oranges

  • 400g sugar
  • 60g unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 2 large navel oranges (each about 170g)

Ice cream base

  • 500ml heavy cream
  • 250ml whole milk
  • 1 vanilla bean (split lengthwise — or substitute with 1 tsp vanilla paste)
  • 5 large egg yolks

STEPS

  1. One day ahead, prepare the oranges: Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 230ºC non-fan forced.

  2. Place 100g of the sugar on a plate. Rub the butter over the oranges, then roll them in the sugar.

  3. Pour the unused sugar from the plate into an 8-inch square baking pan, and shake it around to cover the bottom of the pan. Place the oranges in the pan and bake, moving them around once to break up any unmelted sugar, until they start to color and some of the sugar in the pan starts to melt, 15 to 20 minutes.

  4. Remove the pan from the oven (leaving the oven on), and using tongs and a sharp knife, carefully quarter the oranges. Place the quarters, skin side up, in the baking pan and bake until the peel is dark brown, about 35 minutes. Let the orange quarters cool slightly.

  5. Remove the peel from 4 of the browned quarters, discarding the pulp. Leave the other 4 quarters intact.

  6. Combine the orange peel, the 4 intact quarters, the sugar from the pan, and the remaining 300g sugar in a food processor, and puree. Strain the puree into a container, cover it, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

  7. The next day, prepare the ice cream mixture. Place the orange puree, cream, milk, and vanilla seeds in a saucepan over medium-low heat, and bring it to a simmer.

  8. Whisk and temper the egg yolks with the hot cream mixture, and then scrape the warmed cream and egg mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.

  9. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate it until it is cold, 3 to 4 hours. Freeze the mixture in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

  10. Transfer the ice cream to a container, cover, and store in the freezer until ready to serve.

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