Frying the improbable: Crafting Chinese fried ice cream
Anyone hearing about fried ice cream for the first time is often amazed. How can you fry ice cream and still keep it cold inside? The Chinese, known for their pioneering spirit and inventions such as paper, clocks, the compass, noodles, and ice cream, have certainly achieved this culinary marvel. A dessert typically served in fine restaurants can actually be prepared at home. It’s not difficult, but it does require some effort and patience.
Cold ice cream in a hot coating is such an unexpected combination that few can resist trying it at home. Thanks to the detailed instructions in Izabella Kaluta’s book "Man zou," this dish can be recreated perfectly. When you cut into it, the ice cream slightly melts, but at the very center, it remains cold. The coating with coconut flakes provides a delightful finish to the dish.
A Chinese dessert combining opposites
"Cold, soft ice cream and hot, crispy coating complement each other like yin and yang, harmoniously merging into a perfect ball," writes Izabella Kaluta in her book.
The Chinese concept of yin and yang signifies a complete experience, representing the connection between seemingly contradictory forces, such as male and female elements.
Yin translates to "north side of a hill, a shaded place, south bank of a river, cloudiness," while yang means "a sunny place, south side of a hill, sun, and the north bank of a river." Within every yin lies a seed of yang, and vice versa. Although the forces may be contradictory, often one transitions into the other and they exchange places.
Recipe for Chinese fried ice cream in a coating
You can enclose any flavour of ice cream in a coconut flake and breadcrumb coating. However, I think it’s worth starting with the classics, like vanilla or cream ice cream. An ice cream scoop will be invaluable.
Ingredients:
- 500 mL of vanilla ice cream,
- 125 mL of breadcrumbs,
- 125 mL of coconut flakes,
- egg whites from 2 eggs,
- 500 mL of oil for frying.
Instructions:
- Mix the breadcrumbs with coconut flakes.
- Beat the egg whites until foamy.
- Form balls from the ice cream, coat them in egg white, then with the breadcrumb mixture.
- Place the coated ice cream balls in a container lined with plastic wrap and put them in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- After that time, take them out and coat them again in the egg white and breadcrumb mixture.
- Place them in the freezer for 2 hours.
- Then, heat the oil in a saucepan—similar to how you would for doughnuts or pastries—and carefully lay the coated ice cream balls in the oil. Fry until they turn a golden colour.
- Once removed, place them on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
