Fried ice cream: A Chinese culinary balancing act
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? But what can't the Chinese invent, being pioneers in many different fields—inventors of paper, clocks, the compass, noodles, and ice cream. A dessert that's served in fine restaurants can be made at home. It’s not difficult, although it does require some time.
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," they turn out just right. When cut into, the ice cream slightly melts, but at the very centre, it remains cold. The coating with coconut flakes perfectly completes 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, a connection between seemingly contradictory forces, male and female elements.
Yin literally 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 are 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:
- Approx. 500 ml of vanilla ice cream,
- Approx. 120 ml of breadcrumbs,
- Approx. 120 ml of coconut flakes,
- Egg whites from 2 eggs,
- Approx. 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 in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- After that time, take them out and coat again in the egg white and breadcrumb mixture.
- Place in the freezer for 2 hours.
- Then, heat the oil in a saucepan—as for doughnuts or pastries—and carefully lay the coated ice cream balls in the oil. Fry to a golden colour.
- After removing, place on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
