Korean Empanadas with Green Tea Ice Cream

YIELD: 12

For the ice cream:
8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
1½ cups whole milk
½ cup loose green tea
2½ cups heavy cream

1. For the ice cream: in a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar and salt. Set aside.

2. In a heavy saucepan, scald the milk. Remove from the heat. Add the tea, cover and steep for 4 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pot, pressing with a rubber spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Add heavy cream and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Ladle 1⁄3 of the cream mixture into the eggs and whisk well to combine. Add all the egg mixture to the pot and cook over low heat, stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.

3. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean container and cool in the refrigerator, about 2 hours. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a plastic container and keep in the freezer until ready to serve.

For the five spice caramel sauce:
12 oz. prepared caramel sauce
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. five spice powder

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all sauce ingredients, transfer to squeeze bottle and hold warm for service.

For the empanadas:
¾ cup Asian pear, peeled and diced
1⁄3 cup dried diced date
1⁄3 cup dried cranberries
1½ Tbsps. honey
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
24 (4.5”) heat pressed flour tortillas
egg wash, as needed
Macha green tea powder, as needed

1. Preheat deep fryer to 350°F. In mixing bowl, combine pear, dates, cranberries, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg.

2. To assemble empanadas: Place 1 scant Tbsp. on center of warm tortilla. Brush outside edges of tortilla with egg wash, fold in half to close and secure with toothpicks to keep closed.

3. Make to order: Fry 2 empanadas for 2 minutes or until golden and flaky and plate with 4 oz. scoop Green Tea Ice Cream, drizzle with 1 oz. caramel sauce and garnish with dusting powder and serve immediately.

Photo: Tom Davis Studios, Springfield, MO  
Recipe: Chef Cari Price/Food IQ for Mission Foodservice