Gastronomic Granadillas

Granadillas have huge health and medicinal benefits. This extraordinary fruit has the ability to prevent cancerous growth, stimulate digestion, boost immune function, improve eyesight, increase skin health, regulate fluid balance in the body, lower blood pressure, boost circulation, and improve bone mineral density. Furthermore, it reduces signs of premature aging, lessens inflammation, improves sleeping habits, and eliminates asthma.

Try out this homemade Granadilla ice-cream
(Courtesy Good Taste Australia)

375ml (1 1/2 cups) milk
375ml (1 1/2 cups) thickened cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthways
6 egg yolks
140g (2/3 cup) caster sugar
1 cup granadilla pulp (about 10 fruit)

Chill a 1.25L (5-cup) capacity metal loaf pan in the freezer. Place milk and cream in a saucepan. Scrape vanilla seeds into pan. Add vanilla bean. Bring to the boil. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Remove the vanilla bean.

Use a balloon whisk to beat egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until thick and pale, and a ribbon trail forms when the whisk is lifted. This traps air into the mixture, giving the ice-cream a light texture. Whisk in the cream mixture.

Pour into a clean saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a flat-edged wooden spoon, for 20 minutes or until custard coats the back of the spoon and leaves a trail when you run your finger through it.

Transfer the mixture to a medium heatproof bowl. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool. Place in the fridge for 2 hours to chill.

Pour the custard into the chilled loaf pan. Cover with foil and place in the freezer for 6 hours or until it’s almost set. Use a metal spoon to roughly break up the ice-cream. Transfer the ice-cream to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, strain passionfruit pulp through a fine sieve into a jug. Add half the seeds to the pulp. Discard the remaining seeds.

Use an electric beater to beat the passionfruit pulp into the half-frozen ice-cream for 3 minutes or until smooth and pale. This breaks up the ice crystals and gives the ice-cream a smooth texture. Return to the loaf pan. Cover with foil and freeze for 4 hours or until firm.

Allow for 35 mins cooling, 2 hours chilling & 10 hours freezing time.

Cooking tips:
Use thickened cream – double cream can curdle and form granules of fat in the ice-cream, giving it a crumbly texture.
Stir the custard mixture constantly – if it catches on the base of the pan the egg will scramble.
To save time, quickly chill your custard in a sink half-filled with water and ice cubes, or make it 1 day ahead.

Freezing tips:
For firmly frozen ice-cream, make sure your freezer temperature is at least -18C.
Cover the surface with plastic wrap. Exposure to air causes freezer burn, which ruins the texture of the ice-cream.
Store your ice-cream in the freezer for no more than a month or it will start to lose flavour and become icy in texture.

Serving tips:
For the best flavour, remove ice-cream from the freezer 5-10 minutes before serving.
To easily serve ice-cream, dip your ice-cream scoop or spoon in hot water between scoops. Don’t refreeze softened ice-cream or it will have a chewy texture.

Perhaps a granadilla cocktail work a treat!

Juice of 2 granadillas
4 tbsp or 60ml quality rum (Brazilian cachaça is the ultimate)
2 teaspoons sugar
Mint leaves and Ice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain. Pour into tall glass and garnish with mint and star fruit.

OR

2 parts granadilla
1 part orange juice
1 part lemon juice
1 part Scotch whisky

Shake all the ingredients with ice.
Pour into a tall glass and fill up with lemonade.
Decorate with a twig of Mint, a slice of orange and a cherry, serve and enjoy!

OR Jamie’s passion fruit caipirinha

3 limes
4 tablespoons golden caster sugar
75 ml cachaça
1 ripe passion fruit + crushed ice

Cut the limes into wedges. Place all but two of the lime wedges and the sugar in a cocktail shaker and muddle for a couple of minutes, or until the sugar has almost dissolved.
Add the cachaça, then halve and spoon in most of the passion fruit pulp.
Fill the shaker with crushed ice and shake it vigorously for 1 minute.
Pour the cocktail into two glasses and top up with more ice, if need be.
Garnish with lime wedges and the rest of the passion fruit pulp.