Imperial Stout Milk Sorbet With Blackberry-Fig Jam from Salt & Straw

Name: Imperial Stout Milk Sorbet With Blackberry-Fig Jam from Salt & Straw
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American

Photo: Courtesy of Salt & Straw

June 12, 2020

A favorite stout gets a sweet makeover.

Salt & Straw co-owner and head ice cream maker Tyler Malek’s Imperial Stout Milk Sorbet With Blackberry-Fig Jam is the result of a mission to re-create the flavors of Three Weavers Brewing Co.’s Midnight Flight stout. To translate the brew from pint glass to cone, Malek reinforces Salt & Straw’s classic sorbet base with milk, boils down his favorite stout (to cook off some alcohol and excess carbon dioxide), then amplifies the beer’s dark, fruity flavors with a jam of blackberries and figs. You can use any dark and malty stout to make this recipe at home.

Ingredients

Yield:2 1/2 pints

1 bottle of your favorite super-dark and malty stout
1 cup skim milk, cold
2 cups sorbet base, very cold
1/2 cup blackberry-fig jam
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Sorbet Base (Makes about 2 cups)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/4 cup light corn syrup
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Blackberry-Fig Jam (makes 2 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
12 oz. dried Mission figs
1/2 cup fresh blackberries
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
6 Tbsp. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

Preparation

To make the sorbet base, stir together 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 tsp. of xanthan gum in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, combine 1 1/4 cups water and the corn syrup. Add the sugar mixture to the saucepan and immediately whisk vigorously until smooth (but don’t fret over a few lumps). Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat if necessary to prevent a simmer, until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let the mixture cool completely.

Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and store in the fridge until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 1 year. ( Just be sure to fully thaw it and stir well before using.)

To make the jam, combine the 1/3 cup of sugar with 2 Tbsp. of water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves completely, about 2 minutes. Then, without stirring, bring the mixture to a boil and cook, swirling the pan gently if needed, until the sugar turns a light amber color. Add 1 1⁄2 cups of water, the dried figs and the blackberries; the mix may sizzle and solidify. Continue to cook over medium heat until the caramel dissolves again. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the fruit is soft and the liquid has reduced slightly, about 30 minutes.

Add the vanilla, salt and butter. Transfer the jam to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth (and very thick). Let the jam cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge until cold. It can keep for up to 3 months.

To make the Imperial Stout Milk Sorbet, bring the stout to a rolling boil over medium-high heat in a small pot, then immediately remove the pot from the heat and add the milk and the sorbet base. Use an immersion blender to briefly blend until well combined. Refrigerate until the mixture is cold to the touch, or up to 12 hours.

Pour the cold mixture into an ice cream maker and turn it on. Churn just until the mixture has the texture of a pourable frozen smoothie. Stir the jam with a fork to loosen it a bit. In freezer-friendly containers, alternate spooning layers of the mixture and dolloping the blackberry-fig jam over each spoonful. Cover with parchment paper, pressing it to the surface of the sorbet so it adheres, then cover with a lid. (It’s okay if the parchment hangs over the rim.) Store it in the coldest part of your freezer ( farthest from the door) until firm, at least 6 hours. It will keep for up to 3 months.