Black Sesame Miso Ice Cream

Koji and Coffee Shoyu

Chefs Evan Burgess and Pedro Mederos of E&P DMPLNGS | Miami

Adapted by StarChefs | March 2021

INGREDIENTS:

Black Sesame Miso:
333 grams koji
500 grams black sesame seeds
55 grams salt, plus more for fermentation
Salt brine (6% salt to water)

Coffee Shoyu:
50 grams unbrewed coffee grounds
150 grams brewed coffee grounds
1 kilogram koji
50 grams salt

Ice Cream:
Yield: 2 quarts
52 ounces milk
18 egg yolks
16 ounces sugar
20 ounces cream
6 ounces glucose

METHOD:

For the Black Sesame Miso:
Using a meat grinder, grind koji and sesame together. Add salt and mix thoroughly. Add enough salt brine so that the miso comes together in a ball without crumbling or losing its shape. Sprinkle a nonreactive fermentation vessel with salt, add miso, and sprinkle with more salt. Seal, date, and label the vessel. Allow to ferment 3 to 4 months.

 For the Coffee Shoyu: 
In a large, nonreactive container, combine all ingredients. Hold at 60℃ for 1 month. Strain through coffee filters until you reach your desired consistency. Transfer excess shoyu lees to a dehydrator and dehydrate.

 For the Ice Cream:
Add milk, yolks, and sugar to a Vitamix blender and blend until sugar is completely incorporated. Transfer egg mixture to a large mixing bowl. To a clean Vitamix blender, add cream, glucose, and 188 grams Black Sesame Miso; blend until homogenous. Add miso mixture to egg mixture and stir to combine. Transfer 1 quart of custard base into medium-sized vacuum seal bags. In a 85℃ water bath, sous vide custard bags 1 hour. Transfer custard bags to an ice bath to cool. Allow to chill in the refrigerator overnight.  The following day, empty custard from vacuum seal bags. Using the churning method of your choice, churn custard until it becomes thick and creamy. Store in freezer.

To Assemble and Serve:
Spoon a scoop of Ice Cream into a serving bowl. Top with Coffee Shoyu and a sprinkle of dehydrated shoyu lees.

---