Salted Plantain Ice-Cream

After our “Making Coffee Slow Again” event on one of the hottest days we’ve had in London this year, we decided to add ice cream to the day. We made salted plantain ice cream, caramelised plantains, soft whipped cream, a touch of cinnamon and sea salt. Simple, nostalgic, and perfect after coffee in the heat. Everybody loved it so much that we thought we’d share the recipe properly here.

Makes around 5 servings

Ingredients

For the caramelised plantains

3 small–medium very ripe plantains
1 tbsp butter
1–2 tbsp brown sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
½ tsp flaky sea salt

For the custard base

150ml whole milk
100ml coconut milk
4 egg yolks
60g brown sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla BEAN PASTE
Pinch of flaky sea salt
300ml double cream

Optional toppings

Crushed plantain chips
Chin chin
Toasted coconut flakes
Dark chocolate shavings
Caramelised plantain slices

Method

Caramelise the plantains

Peel the plantains and slice them into thick rounds.

Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the plantains and fry until golden on both sides.

Sprinkle over the brown sugar, cinnamon and flaky sea salt. Continue cooking for a few more minutes, turning the plantains occasionally, until the sugar has melted into a rich caramel and the plantains are soft, golden and beautifully caramelised.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

Make the custard

In a saucepan, gently heat the whole milk, coconut milk and half of the brown sugar until just steaming. Do not let it boil.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining brown sugar until smooth.

Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg mixture, whisking continuously to temper the eggs.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not boil.

Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract and allow the custard to cool completely.

Blend

Add the caramelised plantains and the cooled custard to a blender.

Blend until completely smooth and silky.

Transfer the mixture to the fridge and chill until cold.

Fold

Whip the double cream until soft peaks form.

Gently fold the chilled plantain custard into the whipped cream until fully combined.

Churn or freeze

If using an ice cream maker, chill the mixture for 30–40 minutes before churning for around 20 minutes, or until thick, creamy and smooth.

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container and freeze, stirring every 30–60 minutes during the first few hours to help create a smoother texture.

Freeze until firm.

To serve

Leave the ice cream at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before scooping. Serve topped with crushed plantain chips, chin chin, caramelised plantain slices, toasted desiccated coconut, toasted coconut flakes or dark chocolate shavings.

Rich, silky and deeply caramelised, this ice cream balances the natural sweetness of ripe plantains with buttery caramel notes and a hint of sea salt.