Wasabi Ice Cream recipe @Not Quite Nigella

Wasabi Ice Cream

April 19, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella

Please don’t think I am one of those nutters that eats wasabi like avocado. I can’t really tolerate the stuff as I find it the equivalent of getting a a gigantic vacuum cleaner on my sinuses. In fact I usually request my sushi sans wasabi so much is my loathing of the innocuous looking stuff. However a visit to Samurai cafe in Balmain a while ago brought us face to face with wasabi ice cream. I didn’t want to try it but I did and it was so mild with only a small tingle at the end that I actually liked it.

I’ve used a cream based crème anglaise base -I do have an ice cream maker but with the insane amount of baking and freezing I’ve been doing, it would take a minor miracle to clear the necessary space in my freezer for the mixing bowl to freeze.

And of course I love my Nigella measuring spoons which are so beautifully crafted and ergonomic that using them makes me endlessly happy (ok I’m easily satisfied). The spoon measurement that I’ve used is the “pinch” size. I’ve given a recipe for a half portion as I do realise that it’s not to everyone’s taste. I don’t want people asking me what on earth to do with a sinus clearing ice cream to which I wouldn’t have the faintest idea as I usually give it to my wasabi loving husband.

Wasabi Ice Cream

An original recipe by Not Quite Nigella

300ml cream
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
Wasabi in a tube-anywhere from a tiny amount to a teaspoon and a half depending on how hot you like it

1. Heat cream in a saucepan until almost boiling

2. Meanwhile whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale, almost white

3. Stir egg and sugar mixture into hot cream stirring well on low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.

4. Take your measuring spoon and start small. If you have Nigella’s measuring spoons, mix 1 “pinch” of wasabi with 1 “pinch” of hot water. If you are using regular measuring spoons, start with a 1/4 teaspoon of wasabi blended with 1/4 teaspoon of hot water. Add this to the custard and taste. Keep adding wasabi and water in these tiny increments until you feel that its wasabi-ish enough. I can’t say that my measurement would be hot enough for most. For me, 3 “pinches” was enough. For my husband, 4 1/2 “pinches”.

5. Freeze until firm and once ready to serve, ripen in the fridge for 5-10 minutes.

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Posted in Cooking and Recipes, Ice Creams

36 Comments | Add your own

1. grace | April 19, 2009 at 6:19 am | #

well, this is definitely a first. not only have i never seen wasabi ice cream, i’ve also never heard of it or imagined it. good grief, it sounds tremendous–all those contrasts. yum.
2. snooky doodle | April 19, 2009 at 6:25 am | #

this is interesting! Ha never thought uou caouls make a wasabi ice cream, must taste good though
3. BethieofVA | April 19, 2009 at 6:32 am | #

This scares me a little. ; )
4. anna | April 19, 2009 at 6:34 am | #

I’m afraid wasabi has been ruined for me, too – a friend gave me a wasabi pea once and it was like eating rubbing alcohol! Ouch! I’ll take my heat from something a little tastier, like ginger. Also, those measuring spoons are too cute! The really tiny one is just called a pinch? Precious!
5. Kyle | April 19, 2009 at 6:43 am | #

I loooooove wasabi! Am convinced it cured my hayfever last spring – nothin’ could upset my sinuses after nuke-ing them with the wasabi rocket-grenade!

Try wasabi mayonaise (add a squeeze of wasabi to your favourite mayo) – goes great with BBQ prawn or squid.
6. Brittany | April 19, 2009 at 7:50 am | #

I’ve seen this flavor somewhere before. It’s intriguing, but I really dislike wasabi. It’s not the spiciness…there’s something about it. It’s bitter to me.

I did just make a spicy ice cream though. Mango-habanero.
7. Julia @ Mélanger | April 19, 2009 at 8:04 am | #

Interesting flavour. Sounds like chilli flavoured chocolate. It is not until the chocolate hits the back of your throat that you get a hint of chilli. Same here? Could be a new trend in palate cleansers!
8. Steph | April 19, 2009 at 8:04 am | #

There is something so Iron Chef about this, interesting combination! I think I am like you, I don’t hugely enjoy the up-the-nose hit, but I love the flavour. Along those lines…there’s a great cheese – Ashgrove Tasmanian wild wasabi cheese which has a nice wasabi flavour but only a mild kick.
9. Theresa | April 19, 2009 at 8:12 am | #

I love an excuse to use my ‘pinch’ spoon, and I have never made ice cream. Looking forward to trying this one!
10. Su-yin | April 19, 2009 at 8:36 am | #

I’ve never had wasabi ice cream, but over here, one of the Japanese noodle bar chains have this chocolate wasabi cake. The wasabi is really mild though, and I thought it was an interesting combination. Imagine having that cake with this ice cream!
11. stella | April 19, 2009 at 9:22 am | #

hmm sounds intriguing, even a bit scary
but i do love wasabi mash potatoes and wasabi peas so i’ll have to try it
12. red neon hearts | April 19, 2009 at 9:27 am | #

That looks quite interesting, I’d give it a go. I’m guessing it tastes sweet like normal ice cream but packs a punch, kinda like chilli chocolate. Am I right?

Am I the only one who thinks that Wasabi tastes like hot english mustard?
13. tara | April 19, 2009 at 10:21 am | #

i wanna know how to do origami… the black sesame looks perdy… i think i would add food colouring to make it greener though
14. Arundathi | April 19, 2009 at 12:15 pm | #

That’s really innovative!! Must have tasted incredible.
15. Angela | April 19, 2009 at 2:59 pm | #

I can’t stand wasabi! It’s not the spiciness (I LOVE spicy food), but the way it does something nasty to my nose… Have you tried black goma ice-cream yet? mmmmmmmmmmm
A pinch is officially 1/8th teaspoon, by the way!
16. Natasha | April 19, 2009 at 3:31 pm | #

I really can’t wait to try this!

I made your avocado icecream and although most people were weirded out, I LOVED it.
17. FFichiban | April 19, 2009 at 3:47 pm | #

Ooohh home made wasabi ice cream ^^! I’ve only tried it a few times from Passionflower and found that it is ok initially but after a while it can get a bit too wasabiy :S
18. Rosa | April 19, 2009 at 6:40 pm | #

I’ve never tried that flavor, but I’m sure that wasabi ice cream tastes gorgeous! Yours looks delicious! Nice presentation…

Cheers,

Rosa
19. ArtemisIII | April 19, 2009 at 6:54 pm | #

I love wasabi Ice cream. I used to eat it all the time when I was back in Toronto in chinatown. It’s wonderfully mild, with a slight kick at the end.. YUM!
20. Arwen from Hoglet K | April 19, 2009 at 8:52 pm | #

Wow, it sounds refreshing. Maybe not really a sweet though
21. Angela @ A Spoonful of Sugar | April 19, 2009 at 9:54 pm | #

Mmmm, I would love this one, Lorraine! I still have fond memories of the grain mustard ice cream we had at The Fat Duck. I should really experiment with savoury ice creams and give guests a shock at my next dinner party!

Lovely food styling, too!
22. Belle | April 19, 2009 at 10:11 pm | #

When I first saw green tea ice cream at a Japanese restaurant, I remember laughing and joking that it was ‘wasabi’ ice cream. Little did we know then that it actually exists!
23. Jeff | April 19, 2009 at 11:00 pm | #

I am opposite I love wasabi and I can never get enough of the stuff. I find myself throwing it on everything. Heck one of my favorite tuna recipes is wasabi pea crusted tuna.

Nicely done and definitely going to give it a shot!
24. Jenny | April 19, 2009 at 11:23 pm | #

Woah! I’d imagine wasabi may give the same sensation as chocolate chilli ice cream!

And I adore those Nigella spoons from watching her show -were they expensive?

Btw, what camera do you use? Your pictures are always so gorgeous (though I think that’s because of your skills hehe).
25. Sophia | April 19, 2009 at 11:34 pm | #

I’ve tried wasabi ice cream once when I was working in Cold Stones’. we got two extreme reactions: love it, or hate it. I liked it and found it interesting, but would never be able to finish a whole cup of it!
26. Tina | April 20, 2009 at 12:24 am | #

Mmm, yum! Serendipity do a wasabi ice cream too, which I really like.
I’m waiting for someone to come out with a reasonably-priced home ice cream maker that doesn’t require pre-freezing the bowl for hours… I’m not holding my breath
27. Anita | April 20, 2009 at 8:04 am | #

Hhhmmmm, not a big fan of wasabi, but I know a few people who would certainly try this ice cream
28. Alexandra | April 20, 2009 at 12:10 pm | #

Wasabi somehow always works out well in desserts!
29. Y | April 20, 2009 at 12:57 pm | #

The ice-cream looks great! I’ve tried wasabi i/c before, and liked it but it’s not something I crave big spoonfuls of, unlike chocolate or rum ‘n’ raisin ice-cream
30. 5 Star Foodie | April 20, 2009 at 1:13 pm | #

I’ve got to give this a try! I think my husband would really like it!
31. Jude | April 20, 2009 at 2:49 pm | #

I’ve also tried wasabi ice cream with much reluctance but ended up liking it. Thanks for sharing! I love recipes like this.
32. Not Quite Nigella | April 20, 2009 at 10:13 pm | #

Hi grace-You’ve never? Wow, I thought it was more common! Well if you like it, you might like tjis-actually I don’t even like wasabi and I liked this

Hi snooky doodle-It’s very good indeed!

Hi BethieofVA-Hehe don’t be scared, embrace it!

Hi anna-Yeah up the nose and it’s all over for me. Some people love the rush and I hate it. Hehe yes it says “pinch” isn’t it the best?

Hi Kyle-Really? My husband swears by it for clearing the sinuses! I don’t mind it if it’s mild but some wasabi products have a real strength control problem!

Hi Brittany-Yes I’m not a big fan either but this can be made quite mild. Maybe the sugar would balance the bitterness? That sounds amazing!

Hi Julia-Yes very much so! This can be made quite subtle and I think it should probably be done that way Great idea for a palate cleanser!

Hi Steph-Haha thanks! I think I’ve seen that cheese and I should try it, I’m sure hubby would love it. Thanks for the rec!

Hi Theresa-Hehe it’s not often used is it! Cool!

Hi Su-yin-Oooh sounds interesting! I guess it’s an extension of chocolate chili! That would be great together!

Hi stella-Haha yes it might be in the wrong hands!

Hi red neon hearts-Yep that’s right, so it’s like a mild vanilla with a tingly aftertaste. Well that’s the way I made it although I bet others make it stronger! yes it does I agree!

Hi tara-Hehe it’s easy! There are youtube tutorials too! I don’t like adding colouring unless I have to!

Hi Arundathi-It was pretty good if I do say so myself

Hi Angela-Yup me too, that’s why I don’t love it. It really affects me so badly. I have and I love it! Oh really-that is cool that it has an actual measurement

Hi Natasha-I’d love to know what you think of it! Fantastic! Some people are too scared!

Hi FFichiban-This one is very light (made to my taste). I haven’t tried passionflowers one though!

Hi Rosa-Thankyou so much! I didn’t realise how uncommon it was

Hi ArtemisIII-Yup you’ve described it to the t!

Hi Arwen-Nope it’s definitely sweet, it is ice cream! Just like chili chocolate

Hi Angela-You should! And without colouring they may not suspect a thing! Thankyou

Hi Belle-It does indeed!

Hi Jeff-Really? you might want to upp the amount of wasabi in this then Cool!

Hi Jenny-Yup you’re absolutely right! I think they were $40 or $60 for the set? Not cheap but I love them! Thankyou! I use a Canon 450D

Hi Sophia-Haha I can imagine! This one is really mild although I bet some are really strong!

Hi Tina-I know, me too. I’d love that! I never have room in the freezer

Hi Anita-Oh cool! You could surprise them!

Hi Alexandra-To be honest I’ve never really seen it in many desserts but that’s probably because I’m wasabi fearing!

Hi Y-I don’t think I would ever cook for you. You always seem to really go for the other flavours from what I make!

Hi 5 Star Foodie -Oh cool! Men love these kinds of things don’t they

Hi Jude-I wasn’t prepared to like it at all I must admit You’re welcome!
33. The Duo Dishes | April 21, 2009 at 4:58 am | #

Whooo, this scares us! Sounds like it’d be so spicy. But the cold, creamy texture probably calms the bite of wasabi.
34. Cakelaw | April 21, 2009 at 1:05 pm | #

I now figure my next must have is Nigella measuring spoons! Your icecream looks devine, although I am not a wasabi fan.
35. Not Quite Nigella | April 21, 2009 at 9:08 pm | #

Hi The Duo Dishes-It’s quite mild, although I think it would be a whole different “creature” if you put a lot of wasabi in!

Hi Cakelaw-Yep, they’re sooo cute and really sturdy. Thanks!