My husband loves foie gras. And I mean really loves it. So much so that he insisted we serve it to our guests at our wedding. Me? Not so much. Foie gras is rich, fatty and melts in your mouth. It’s a unique flavor that people tend to love or hate.
If you’re a fan of foie, do I have an ice cream recipe for you! On a recent cold Sunday, K and I found ourselves with no plans. I haven’t made homemade ice cream in a while, so I started getting ready to go grocery shopping to pick up some supplies. But what flavor should I make? K was feeling creative. “How about foie gras ice cream?” he asked. We had tried foie gras ice cream in Hong Kong once, and K wanted me to try it at home. Not one to back down from a cooking challenge, I hit up Google for some inspiration.
K always keeps a big supply of foie gras in our freezer, which he buys directly from Hudson Valley Foie Gras. When you see foie gras on the menu at any of the top restaurants in the U.S., there is a good chance it comes from Hudson Valley. Foie gras itself can be controversial, but Hudson Valley is committed to careful and transparent processes. You can even schedule a visit to their farm in Upstate New York — and take photos!
Foie gras is often served with fruit, or fruit preserves, so that got me thinking about peanut butter and jelly. There are many great recipes for peanut butter ice cream out there, so I used some for inspiration and took plenty of creative license!
This recipe is egg-less, but it still isn’t the easiest of recipes. First, you heat the milk and cream with the sugar until it’s dissolved. You cook the foie gras, then use a blender to blend it completely with the ice cream base.
Once the ice cream is ready, you layer it with swirls of jam. I would recommend high-quality jam here. Homemade would be ideal! While I love dear old Smuckers, I just don’t think gelatinous jelly would do well here.
Foie Gras PB & J Ice Cream
{Makes 1 pint}
Ingredients
- One slice of frozen Hudson Valley foie gras (2 oz.)
- 1.5 cups light cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup peanut butte
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup runny jam (if it’s too thick to pour, heat with tablespoon or two of water and a pinch of sugar)
Directions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, milk, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, and cook until sugar dissolves.
- Remove from heat and mix in the peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Chill the mixture in the fridge for 1 hour or until cool.
- Meanwhile, cook the foie gras. You could grill it, but I had K sear it on the stove and finish in the oven.
- Pour the ice cream mixture and foie gras into a blender and blend until completely smooth and frothy. Pour mixture into ice cream maker and freeze per the manufacturer’s directions. If you’re using a Cuisinart, this means 1) turn on your machine, 2) slowly pour mixture in, and 3) leave the thing alone for 15 minutes or so.
- In an airtight container, layer the ice cream with thin layers or drizzles of jam. When you’re done, you can take a wooden skewer or think knife and make a couple swirls. You can find more tips about making swirls (plus photos!) in this article. Freeze for at least an hour before serving.
The verdict? This was some rich, fancy ice cream! While the foie gras flavor wasn’t as prominent as I’d expected, it did seem to deepen the taste of the peanut butter. We could taste the foie gras when we thought about it, but we’re not convinced that we could have named the flavor if we didn’t know what it was. The ice cream base wasn’t very sweet, but the jam swirl brought a sugary punch. I’m glad that I sprung for the fancier, expensive mixed berry jam, as it brought another level of sophistication to the dish. Look at that red color! Overall, this ice cream was smooth, thick, and complex. If you have a foie-gras fan in the family, you should make this ice cream for a special occasion!
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