SAUTEED FIGS WITH WHITE PEPPER ICE CREAM

By akselden

Ingredients

• 9 black figs, halved lengthwise
• 4 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup sweet Sherry
• Dash of lemon juice
• Bread Pudding (recipe follows)
• White Pepper Ice Cream (recipe follows)
• Bread Pudding
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 vanilla bean, slit lengthwise and scraped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 cups bread cut into l/2-inch cubes or, better yet, pound-cake cubes
• White Pepper Ice Cream
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, slit open lengthwise and scraped
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 11 egg yolks

Preparation

Step 1

Rub the figs with the five-spice powder. In a saute pan over high heat, melt the butter and add the sugar. When the sugar begins to caramelize, add the figs, cut side down. Saute until they turn golden on the cut side. Carefully remove the figs with a spatula,
Add the Sherry and lemon juice to the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Boil the mixture until it reduces to a syrup. Strain the syrup. Using a biscuit cutter, cut 2-inch rounds of the bread pudding. Place rounds on a baking sheet and heat for 4 minutes
at 375° F. On a plate, arrange three fig slices around each pudding-round and drizzle Sherry sauce over the figs. Place a scoop of the white pepper ice cream on top of the bread pudding. Serves 6.

Bread Pudding:
Bring the milk, cream, vanilla, cardamom and orange zest to a boil. Let cool, then add the egg and yolks, stirring to mix. Strain.
Lay pound-cake cubes into an 8-inch-square cake pan lined with parchment or wax paper. Pour enough of the milk mix to cover the cubes. Allow the mixture to sit 20 minutes, then top off with remaining mix. Bake at 250°F until firm, about 30-40 minutes.
Refrigerate.

White Pepper Ice Cream:
In a saucepan, bring everything except the yolks to a boil. In a large bowl, add the hot mixture slowly to the yolks, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to medium heat, stirring until it thickens. Cool the mixture in an ice bath and then strain it into a container. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to instructions. Makes enough for 1 quart.