Ginger Ice Cream Candied Orange: Pain and Pleasure Recipe
Make the candied orange peels: Using a paring knife, make 6 slits along curve from top to bottom of each orange, cutting through peel but not into fruit. Using your fingers, gently remove peel. Reserve fruit for another use. Slice each piece of peel lengthwise into ¼-inch-wide strips. Using a paring knife, remove excess white pith from each strip and discard.
Place strips in a large saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then drain. Repeat twice.
Bring 4 cups sugar and 4 cups water to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Stop stirring. Wash sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Add strips to boiling syrup, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until strips are translucent, about 1 hour. Remove from heat, and let strips cool in syrup. (Strips in syrup will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 weeks).
Using a slotted spoon, transfer strips to a wire rack placed on a rimmed baking sheet. Wipe off excess syrup with paper towels, then roll strips in sugar. Arrange in a single layer on a wire rack, and let dry for at least 30 minutes. Once dry chop 10 or 12 strips crosswise into ¼-inch dice (or to taste); set these aside for the ice cream. The remaining sugared strips may be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for several weeks.
Make the ice cream: Half fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside.
Mix 2 ounces milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir until completely and smoothly incorporated; set aside.
In a separate medium bowl whisk the cream cheese and salt together until well incorporated; set aside.
Combine the remaining milk, cream, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, corn syrup, and ginger slices in a 4-quart saucepan, bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat. Remove from heat and gradually mix in the cornstarch mixture. Return to the heat and allow it to come back to a boil, whisking the entire time. Remove from heat gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the medium bowl with the cream cheese mixture. Keep whisking until it’s very smooth, cover and let the flavors infuse for 15 minutes.
Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziplock freezer bag. Seal the bag and submerge it in the bowl of ice water. Let the bag become well-chilled, about ½ hour. Add the vanilla to the chilled mixture.
Freeze the ice cream: Pour the chilled mixture through a fine mesh sieve directly into the bowl of the ice cream maker. Discard the ginger slices. Follow the manufacturer’s directions on the machine until the ice cream is smooth, thick and creamy. It should be pulling from the sides just a bit as it churns.
Pack the ice cream into a 1-quart storage container, folding the candied orange peel dice in intermittently as you go. Seal with an airtight lid. Freeze the ice cream until very firm, at least 4 hours.