Brown Butter-Boniato Ice Cream

With our predilection for picture perfect food, the boniato has been slow to catch on in North America. It’s a turnip-shaped tuber with tough, gnarly, purplish skin that is never devoid of dirt, no matter how hard you scrub. Once cooked, the creamy colored flesh tastes sweet and buttery, faintly reminiscent of chestnuts. The boniato is not as sweet and drier than other sweet potatoes but its fluffy consistency and delicate flavor makes it agreeable in any dish, savory or sweet.  In Cuba, they are a popular side dish to meats and served mashed with garlic and onions. In Spain, they are roasted and paired with chestnuts. In the Caribbean, they are featured in spiced dessert puddings for a holiday treat.  But since the delicate sweet flavor of the boniato also reminded me of chestnuts, I thought it could bridge the gap between our favorite vehicle for salt–the potato–and our most decadent of sweet treats–ice cream.

Brown Butter-Boniato Ice Cream

Makes 2 quarts

Using potatoes in ice cream is a hard concept to appreciate. Even I, in all of my open-mindedness, balked at the idea because it’s hard not to think of sweet mashed potatoes when you think of potato ice cream. Adding brown butter to the ice cream added a nutty note while keeping the flavor subtle and neutral enough to pair with most desserts. Chocolate and nuts pair especially well.

For the boniato base:

700g boniato, peeled and cooked

112 g butter

75 gr skimmed milk powder

2 gr salt

550 g water

Melt butter, add milk powder, and stir constantly over low heat until lightly browned. Add water and bring to a boil. Add boniato and salt, simmer for five minutes and puree. Chill until needed.

For the ice cream:

130 gr milk

130 gr cream

130 gr glucose

108 gr yolks

65 gr sugar

2 gr salt

Warm the milk, cream and glucose. Temper yolks into the warmed mixture and cook as for crème anglaise. Add the chilled potato base, strain, and chill overnight before freezing in an ice cream machine. Serve with stone fruit compote or chocolate cake.

Pointers for Success:

• To cook the boniato: Peel the boniato using a sharp vegetable peeler. Cut into 1 ½ inch chunks, and immediately submerge in water to prevent discoloration. Simmer the potatoes on low heat until tender. Drain water and reserve until needed.
• The base should be aged overnight and matured in the freezer for a few hours, otherwise the texture of the ice cream feels grainy.