The Chef: Toni Roberts (Roof, State and Lake)The Challenger: Amanda Rockman (Balena, the Bristol)The Ingredient: Sheep’s milk
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The milk is rich and creamy, with about twice the fat and protein of cow’s milk; it’s also higher in calcium and rich in vitamins and minerals. It’s not widely consumed, though, accounting for just 1.3 percent of the world’s milk production (cow’s milk makes up 84.6 percent, followed by buffalo at 11.8 percent and goat at 2.1 percent). Most of what is produced is used for cheeses, including pecorino, Manchego, Roquefort, and Ossau-Iraty.
Roberts decided to make a push pop—a variation on the guava and coconut frozen creations she’s planning to serve at Roof this summer. She started with a vanilla-rosemary ice cream (rosemary goes well with earthy flavors like the ones in sheep’s milk, she said), noting that the fat content of the sheep’s milk was so high that she didn’t have to add any cream to the base—usually she’d use half milk and half heavy cream.
Video by Michael Gebert/Sky Full of Bacon
Sheep’s milk and pineapple push pop
Vanilla bean and rosemary ice cream
Heat a sautee pan until very hot. Add the pineapple, sugar and star anise. Cook over high heat, stirring, until juices are released and the pineapple softens. Puree in a Vita Prep until smooth. Blend 12 oz of the pineapple puree with the Greek yogurt to make the sherbet base. The rest of the puree is the sorbet base. Chill and process each separately in an ice cream machine.
