Yesterday we made history at my resort, Lifestyle Resort Da Nang, in Vietnam.
We made the first batch of liquid nitrogen ice cream in front of our kitchen and serving staff, preparing them for next week when we’ll be doing it LIVE in front of our guests at the table, every night of the week.
Ice cream is often a slow and laborious process, with many concerns around bacteria control and getting the perfect custard. With this technique, the product becomes silky smooth and can be made in an instant without stabilizers, gums or emulsifiers.
OMG! Healthy ice cream? Something like. Can be.
I won’t bore you with the usual yada yada of background and history behind the use of supercooled liquid nitrogen.
I could tell you all about the history of nitrogen gas condensation, the medical applications, the cool scene in the Wesley Snipes and Sly Stallone movie ‘Judge Dredd’ where the two guys are cryogenically frozen with a huge cap of liquid nitrogen. Sterling stuff.
I could even go on with three starry chefs and college science professors with their tricks and original recipes. But I will not.
I prefer to joke with the above to get to the point and tell you that making this type of ice cream at the table in front of guests is one of my favorite culinary pastimes, and something that makes everyone swoon with joy. when they experience it.
Like all processes and technologies, it has its share of detractors.
Mainly those who have not tried it. Sometimes even those who are afraid to try it or are worried about the risks.
Worse yet, there are some who even fear that by recognizing this as possible, relevant and tasty, the big unwashed will abandon their cheap mass-produced frozen dairy treats and demand the simple, natural ingredients that make up nitrogen ice cream.
Actually, no, I don’t think that’s it.
They’re more worried that their years of classical training and the expensive Italian sorbet machine will no longer be required, or that they’ll be judged inferior to a couple of us new-age monkeys combining fresh produce in a bowl in front of the Dinner.
Here are some simple facts about using liquid nitrogen to make your favorite frozen treat, and about the ice cream itself.
- This is the most natural ice cream possible. Liquid nitrogen boils back into gas at 196 degrees below zero and dissipates into the atmosphere without leaving a trace on food.
- The colder and faster the dairy products are chilled, the softer it will be. This is because there is little or no crystallization of lactose. This is a fact. Liquid nitrogen ice cream is softer than conventional ice cream.
- Conventional methods soften through the use of gums, chemicals, food additives, stabilizers and emulsifiers. All the numbers, codes and chemical names you don’t understand but see on the side of your commercial ice cream package anyway. I bet you wouldn’t eat them with a spoon if they didn’t taste or look like ice cream. Now you don’t have to.
- Ice cream made with liquid nitrogen can be delicious when made without custard or chemical additives, so it can be as simple as fresh milk, fresh cream and sugar or your favorite sweetener. Oh, and your favorite flavor(s).
Liquid nitrogen? That’s a mouthful.
For short, we refer to it as LN2.
The chemical symbol for Nitrogen is N, the gas is referred to ‘in science’ as N2, and we add ‘L’ in front as short for ‘Liquid’, hence ‘LN2’.
Yes, it’s a sloppy abbreviation, but we’re fine with using it. OK, no more “cool” puns. Indicated.
Vegetarian? vegan? No problem. We can make LN2 ice cream with soy milk or coconut milk instead of milk or cream.
Macrobiotic? Belt some nuts or wheat in it. Sorry mate, there is no way to help you. Go the vegan way or use nut milk
Diabetic? Sugar hater? Without worries. You can use isomalt, honey, aspartame, fructose, or any other sweetener since it doesn’t require cooking.
Traditionalist? Do not worry friend. Make your Creme Anglaise, get your lightly whipped cream, and make your ice cream with the usual steps, swapping out the ice cream maker for a bowl and some liquid nitrogen. And mutter in some European language about ‘damn avant-garde chefs’ like me. I won’t be much offended.
Normal ice cream takes about 20 minutes to freeze in an ice cream machine. Liquid nitrogen ice cream takes up to four minutes and as little as one minute. Remember what I said about the rate of cooling being an important factor in achieving a silky smooth texture. BINGO! Go ahead, spinner!
But what about chemicals? um what? Are you high? Nitrogen makes up 78% of the air we breathe. If you don’t like it, stop breathing. The process also removes all the unnatural things you have to add to the food to make it freezer-stable and smooth.
But is dangerous. Why? Oh yeah, it’s so cold. 196 degrees Celsius below zero. if it is. But the fryers are at 190 degrees C above zero. And I don’t see people cutting back on French fries, spring rolls, and shredded seafood because of the potential for injury. Keep it safe. Keep it sane. Keep it sexy. Sorry. consensual.
But it is dangerous because it can explode if you lock it in a boat. People could die – the staff running it needs training. Yes. And fryers explode if they reach 200 degrees C, or if you pour water on them. Your point is?
But my guests/friends/family are alcoholics and prefer a drink to ice cream. GREAT! LN2 actually freezes alcohol. You can turn their favorite cocktail, liqueur, or booze into a funky sherbet that will have them reeling like crazy. The alcohol and high sugar content normally soften the ice cream. LN2 allows these to be used in higher than normal amounts when making ice cream.
But the equipment is expensive.. Oh yeah. That old chestnut. If we’re talking about a bowl and whisk, then yes, they can be. Try a budget kitchen store instead of that designer store.
If you are talking about the specialized liquid nitrogen storage and transport container, it is called a dewar. They range in cost from $250 to $1,200 depending on size. About a quarter of the price of an ice cream machine.
But… the ingredients. You have to pay for nitrogen. You sure do.
And then you have to worry about death, taxes, public transport fees, electricity, gas, internet fees, gym or doctor, and possibly even a parking ticket, a ticket, a packed lunch or the $6 coffee at Starbucks.
No shit Sherlock. Life is about paying an arm and a leg for everything. It is the capitalist way.
but you’ll be relieved to learn that liquid nitrogen costs only about 50 cents to $1 per liter. And if you do use it, then you don’t need to thicken it with eggs or additives, so your net cost is reduced, for a far superior product.
But… but… but… people don’t like to see really fresh food made in a very visual and exciting way because they are boring naysayers and critical warts on society’s skin.. Okay, make it in the kitchen and store it in the freezer. Make more servings and dramatically lower your cost. And it tastes better than regular ice cream.
Goal… goal… goal…. Yep. No more rejections.
Just try it and you will see.
See the first nitrogen ice cream made in Vietnam at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzVhoUNt73Y
At Life Resort Da Nang, we offer 28 flavors and build our long-term repertoire from there.
Follow us on twitter @LifestyleDanang to see what we do every day.
Thanks for reading, questions welcome.