Jenn Sheppard
Sous Chef, Culinary Innovation
Cuisine Solutions

Manchego Ice Cream

Recipe courtesy of Chef Jenn Sheppard
Sponsor: California Milk Advisory Board

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 3 c Real California whole milk
• 1 c Real California heavy cream
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp dextrose
• 1 3/4 c Real California Hispanic-style Manchego cheese, freshly grated

Garnish (per serving)

• ¼ c Real California Hispanic-style Manchego cheese, freshly grated
• ¼ c hazelnuts, roasted
• ½ c pears, ripe and sliced

Directions

1. Whisk all ice cream ingredients together and chill for 1 hour.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large sous vide pouch and seal, removing as much air as possible. A vacuum sealer works best but a food saver can also be utilized for this step.
3. Set up your water bath in a container and set your sous vide circulator to 185 degrees F.
4. Place bag in water bath and cook for 45 minutes. Remove bag from water bath and chill overnight.
5. Pour your ice cream base into an ice cream maker. Following the instructions provided for your ice cream machine, churn mixture until it reaches desired consistency.
6. Serve as is or freeze overnight before serving.
7. Gently break the tuile into rustic pieces and place on top of ice cream when plating. Garnish with roasted hazelnuts and pear slices.

Chef’s Notes

The crispy cheese, fresh pear and roasted hazelnut garnishes really bring this dish together by adding contrasting textures and highlighting the subtle, sweet and nutty notes of the California Manchego.

Manchego is one of, if not my favorite, type of cheese. I have a savory palate but I am often conflicted because I really love and appreciate the texture of ice cream. Utilizing the sous vide method gives you the ability to seamlessly infuse ingredients to create impressive flavor profiles. The ultimate benefit is the incredibly creamy and silky texture you can achieve while cooking in one bag. The beautiful flavor and smooth texture are absolutely unmatched, with a straightforward process as an added bonus.

You will need to use a food-grade plastic bag when cooking sous vide. Be sure to read the label when purchasing bags to ensure they are safe to cook in.

If you are new to sous vide cooking, I recommend checking out CREA (Culinary Research & Education Academy), led by Chief Scientist Dr. Bruno Goussault, who is recognized as the founder of modern sous vide. Their team has experience training chefs around the world through classes and provides consulting in foodservice operations. For more information, visit their website at www.lecrea.com.

Project Management: Summit F&B
Photography: Carlos Garcia // Food Styling: Peg Blackley & Bree Williams