When my brother Jimmy asked me to create a recipe for a charity event he was hosting with a theme of ‘walk down memory lane’, it was hard to decide as I have so many great food memories!
Food was perhaps one of the only ways I knew how to connect with my parents.
My parents worked so hard when we were growing up, not an uncommon story amongst immigrant families. My parents came to Australia with nothing but their crazy 4 kids. My dad’s electrical engineering degree didn’t open up many doors in his new country, but that didn’t stop him. He was extremely entrepreneurial and had a great way with people. Luckily for him, my mum was loyal, supportive and could learn anything she put her mind to. While the six of us happily lived in the sun-room of my aunt’s small apartment, my parents begun planning to provide delicious food to our local community via a small Chinese restaurant in Collaroy. From there, my parents embarked on a streak of restaurants throughout the Northern beaches of Sydney, Australia. Some successful – some not so successful. Unfortunately, the ones that were not successful, took a huge toll on our family life… My parents had to work every day and every night for as long as I can remember. We may not have had much, but we always had enough.
I will always be grateful to my parents for all the sacrifices they made to give us a ‘better life’. I may have not understood it all as a youngster, but I sure do now, especially that I am a parent myself.
So, back to the dish that reminded me of my childhood? …It has to be the infamous ‘Deep fried ice cream”! Apart from the fact that it just sounds crazy, not much can compare to the delectable sensation of a hot/cold, crispy/smooth fried ice cream ball. This is the dish I chose, because it represents the love that my mum showed as she prepared it for me, forgiveness when I ruined her fryer while trying to make it without her permission, and the joy I felt just by eating this wonderful dessert!! I hope you do try it, simply on it’s own (but you really should have the caramel sauce as well) or even try elevating it with some caramelized pineapple.
Without further ado, please talk a walk down memory lane with me… much love, Theresa xx
Deep Fried Ice Cream with Caramelized Pineapple
Ingredients
COCONUT CARAMEL SAUCE
- 220 g sugar
- 70 g butter cut into cubes
- 150 ml coconut cream room temp
- Pinch of salt
ICE CREAM BALLS
- 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream firmly packed round scoops
- 2 cups bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 L vegetable oil for frying
RUM PINEAPPLE
- 2 rings of fresh pineapple
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 50 g butter
- 1/4 cup rum
Instructions
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For the caramel sauce, in a saucepan over medium heat, sprinkle a quarter of the sugar into the pan. When it starts to melt, sprinkle more sugar over the top and repeat, swirling the pan until all the sugar is melted and a deep amber colour.
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Carefully whisk in the butter. Remove saucepan from the heat.
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Slowly pour in the coconut cream, whisking constantly. Add a pinch of salt and set aside to cool.
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Store in a sterile airtight container.
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For the ice cream balls, place the bread crumbs into a bowl. Scoop the ice cream into round balls and coat with bread crumbs. Freeze hard.
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Place the egg in a bowl and whisk. Working quickly, roll each ice cream ball in the egg, making sure the whole surface is coated. Coat with breadcrumbs, lightly pressing the crumbs in to make sure the whole ball is covered. You can repeat this, but I find the coating becomes too thick. Freeze hard.
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Heat the oil to 190C and fry the frozen ice cream balls for a few seconds until golden, drain on paper towel and serve immediately.
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For the caramelized pineapple, melt the butter in a pan over medium-high heat.
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Coat the pineapple rings with brown sugar and add to the pan.
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Cook until the pineapple begins to caramelize and add the rum. Simmer for a few minutes.
Recipe Notes
Serve with fresh pineapple and crushed toasted walnuts 🙂