Seattle Food Geek » sorbet

How to make Pacojet-Style Frozen Desserts at Home

scott — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:00:00 +0000

If you’ve ever been in an upscale restaurant and ordered a sorbet or ice cream with a consistency that seemed to defy the laws of physics, it was probably made in a Pacojet. This $4000 machine is a staple in many restaurant and hotel kitchens for its ability to produce exceptionally smooth and creamy desserts and savory dishes. However, if I’m going to drop four grand on a kitchen machine, it damned well better take voice commands and wear a skimpy outfit.

My method uses dry ice for instant freezing and Xanthan Gum, a popular soy-based gluten substitute, as a thickener for a more velvety texture. In addition, I’ve added a small amount of Versawhip, which creates a subtle but stable foam, giving the finished product the unexpected lightness usually associated with mousses. You can substitute the sorbet base of your choice, following the same basic steps.

Makes: about 6 cups
Total kitchen time: 10 minutes

Shopping list:

20 oz. canned pineapple (crushed, slices, or chunks), including juice
6 oz. fresh raspberries
1 oz. (a small shot) St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur (optional)
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. Xanthan gum (also available in the baking aisle at better grocery stores. Look for the Bob’s Red Mill label)
1/2 tsp. Versawhip
1 lb. dry ice, crushed into 1/2” or smaller chunks

Combine the pineapple (including juice), raspberries, St. Germain and sugar in the bowl of a large food processor. Process for one minute or until smooth.
Add the Xanthan gum and Versawhip and process until combined.
With the food processor running, add the dry ice and continue processing another 1-2 minutes, or until the sound of the dry ice cracking has stopped.
Remove from the food processor and serve, or store in the freezer. Can be made 2 days in advance.

It is true that the Pacojet doesn’t require any added thickeners to achieve its magic consistency. However, it does require you to freeze your sorbet mix at –20C for 24 hours before churning. I’d love to do a blind taste test comparison between this method and the Pacojet. As soon as I trip over a pile of cash, I’ll let you know how the test turns out.

5-Minute Dry Ice Elderflower Sorbet

scott — Thu, 06 May 2010 17:30:21 +0000

Video Recipe

If you couldn’t tell, I’ve been slightly obsessed with molecular gastronomy (“modernist cuisine” if you’ve read the Nathan Myhrvold interview). Unfortunately, I’m a long way off from having centrifuges, rotary evaporators and tanks of liquid nitrogen lying around my ~~lab~~ kitchen. Luckily, some of the geekiest cooking techniques work very well with home kitchen substitutes, and dry ice sorbet is the perfect example. Eric Rivera first introduced me to this technique during one of our periodic food experimentation meetings. Depending on the sugar content of the sorbet base and the type of mixer attachment, you can produce anything from fluffy, soft, taffy-like sorbets like this one to desserts with the consistency of Dippin-Dots. Last night I added lime zest, lime juice and a shot of tequila to the sorbet base, then topped the result with lime salt for the coldest, sweetest smoothest margarita sorbet you’ve ever tasted!

Note: Whenever you’re working with dry ice, WEAR THICK GLOVES. Having sensation in your appendages is a good thing.

Note Two: In the video, I say to bring the sorbet base to a boil. Further testing has shown that’s really not necessary. A simmer is usually sufficient for the sugar and water to be completely combined.

Mmmmango Tea-and-Honey Sorbet

sheimend — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:45:37 +0000

I’m not much of a coffee drinker (strange for a Seattleite), but I do enjoy a good cup of tea. Actually, I enjoy a frozen bowl of tea even more – get it, iced tea! I’ve recently discovered the Portsmouth Tea Company, an excellent supplier of high-end tea blends. Their "Mmmmango” tea is perfectly sweet and just slightly herbal – a great fit for tea-based sorbet.

Makes: 2 quarts
Total kitchen time: 30 minutes, plus churning time

Shopping list:

1.5 quarts purified water
4 tbsp. Mmmmango tea
3 tbsp. honey

In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat.
Distribute the loose tea among 4 tea bags or 2 tea infusers and place in the pot of water. Let the tea steep for 25-30 minutes for maximum flavor.
Once the tea has steeped, remove the tea bags and stir in the honey. Adjust to taste with more honey, if needed, until the mixture is just slightly sweet.
Refrigerate the tea mixture until cold, then churn using your ice cream maker’s instructions.
Top with a drizzle of honey before serving.

I’m a big fan of sneaking loose tea into recipes, especially deserts. Do you have any favorite tea recipes? Are there any tea creations you’d like to see? If so, leave a comment below!

Blood Orange Sorbet with Vanilla, Almond and Lavender Infusion

sheimend — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:46:30 +0000

When flu season comes around, it’s important to soothe your aching throat with something healthy and delicious. Yes, of course you’ll have plenty of tea and honey, but why not try a cold treat to numb away your woes?

Makes: 1 prescription quart
Total kitchen time: 20 minutes plus freezing time

Shopping List:

6 blood oranges (you can cheat and buy blood orange juice – about 1.5 cups)
1 cup Muscat (dessert wine; you can drink the rest)
1/2 cup blue agave nectar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1 tbsp. vanilla almond tea (loose tea in an infuser, or about 4 tea bags)
1 tsp. lavender (in an infuser, or find lavender tea, about 2 bags)
2 cups water

Juice the blood oranges through a fine mesh screen to remove any pulp or seeds. I used my potato ricer to get the oranges squozen.
Combine the blood orange juice, Muscat, agave nectar, vanilla bean (including the pod) and ginger in a medium pot. Bring the liquid just to a boil, then remove from heat.
Add the tea and lavender in an infuser or in loose tea bags. Let the mixture steep for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the tea.
Add the water and refrigerate the mixture overnight or until cold. Then, freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can still-freeze this recipe in a large, shallow baking dish. Pour in the mixture and put it in the coldest part of your freezer. Every 20 minutes or so, scrape the sorbet with the tines of a fork to break up the ice crystals. You’ll end up with more of a granita than a sorbet, but it will still be delicious.