Forget the barbecue and other classic dishes that make up a great Fourth of July party spread (actually, don’t forget them: you can find my menu for brisket, coleslaw, barbecue beans, homemade barbecue sauce and triple chocolate brownies here), if you really want to get patriotic, let’s go way, way back to explore one of our country’s earliest “treats,” oyster ice cream.
While “disgusting” might be the first word that comes to mind when you consider it, oyster ice cream has a special place in our country’s history. Legend has it that Dolly Madison loved serving the dish at the White House, and it was reputedly Mark Twain’s favorite flavor. Even the pilgrims at Plymouth are said to have enjoyed the dish at the first Thanksgiving meal. A recipe for the dish can be found in Mary Randolph’s “The Virginia Housewife,” one of our country’s earliest lifestyle/cookbooks first published in 1824.
Unlike most of the ice cream flavors we know of today, oyster ice cream was decidedly savory — it was essentially oyster stew, with the oysters removed before chilling. Chef José Andrés recreated the dish several years ago (he spoke about his creation and its history on NPR here), and its served as a muse for a number of chefs and food historians over the years.
Recently, Trippy Food’s Valentino Herrera asked me if I wanted to have a go at it. Never one to turn down a challenge, I came up with my own take on the dish. Using oysters Rockefeller as an inspiration, I poached oysters in heavy cream to flavor it, then added grated parmesan cheese and lemon zest to compliment the briny notes. When the ice cream was almost frozen, I added a swirl of spinach sauteed in butter with shallots and garlic, along with a little Pernod. I prefer to serve small scoops of the ice cream in toasted brioche slider buns, garnishing the scoops with a sprinkling of Maldon salt for added seasoning and texture.
Odd? Yes. But I was pleasantly surprised with the results. And I would definitely serve this again — not for dessert, but it would make a fun appetizer or first course for a summer party. You can find the recipe below.
QUICK TIP: When making your own ice cream, be sure to freeze the container in which you’ll be storing it before transferring the ice cream from the maker to the freezer. If the storage container is not cold, the ice cream may melt before it freezes completely, ruining the texture.
OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER ICE CREAM SLIDERS
30 minutes, plus chilling and freezing times. Makes 1 generous pint ice cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, chopped
1 pound shucked oysters and their liquor, divided
1/4 cup Pernod
3 cups finely chopped fresh spinach
Salt and freshly-ground pepper
2 cups half and half
3 large egg yolks, beaten
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Zest of 2 lemons
Toasted brioche slider buns, for serving
Maldon or other coarse sea salt, for garnish
1. In a skillet heated over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the garlic and shallots and sweat until the shallots are translucent and the ingredients are fragrant. Add the oyster liquor and cook the liquid is almost evaporated. Stir in the Pernod, scraping any flavoring from the bottom of the pan. When the liquid is reduced by half, add the chopped spinach and wilt. Season the mixture with 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Remove from heat and spread the spinach mixture in a shallow baking dish. Refrigerate until well-chilled.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat to warm. Add oysters and poach until the oysters are firm. Strain and discard the oysters.
3. Add a little of the hot cream to the egg yolks, stirring to temper the eggs. Stir the yolks back into the cream and heat over medium-low heat until the cream thickens to form a custard. Immediately remove from heat and strain into a bowl set over an ice bath, stirring the mixture to chill it quickly. Once the custard base is chilled, stir in the grated parmesan and lemon zest.
4. Place custard base in ice cream maker and freeze. When ice cream is almost set, add spinach mixture to form a swirl. Freeze well before serving.
5. Serve small scoops of the ice cream in toasted brioche buns, garnishing each scoop with a sprinkling of Maldon salt.
Note: From Noelle Carter.