Benihana Azuki Red Bean Ice Cream Recipes

AZUKI ICE CREAM (JAPANESE RED BEANS ICE CREAM)

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the azuki beans, 1/3 cup of sugar, lemon juice and water. Bring to a boil, and boil uncovered for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the beans are very tender. When done, the beans and liquid should amount to 3 cups. If not, add more water to compensate.
• Strain the bean mixture through a sieve - I use a wooden paddle for this, and discard the bean skins. Refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until cold.
• In a saucepan, combine the milk and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. While you wait for that to boil, whisk together the egg yolks and 2/3 cup of sugar in a medium bowl. When the cream and milk come to a boil, ladle about 1/4 cup of the hot liquid into the bowl with the egg yolks, and whisk until smooth. Pour the yolk mixture into the pan with the cream, and cook over low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. This should take about 5 minutes. Do not cook too long, or you will get lumps. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla. Refrigerate until cold.
• Once both of the mixtures are cold, stir them together. Pour into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

RED BEAN ICE CREAM (AZUKI ICE CREAM)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat sugar and egg yolks till pale and yellow. Set aside.
• Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan and then turn off heat.
• Slowly whisk hot milk into the yolk/sugar mixture. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan.
• Turn on to a very low heat and stir constantly, till it thickens. Do not let it boil!
• Take the mix off the heat and whisk in the red bean paste. Strain the entire mixture into a large bowl.
• Let it cool for about 2 minutes and then stir in the cream. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Process according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

SWEET RED BEAN PASTE (ANKO)

Steps:

• Wash azuki beans gently a couple of times.
• Put azuki beans into a saucepan, fill it with water to 3-4cm / 1¼-1½" above the azuki beans and bring it to a boil.
• Cook for 15 minutes, turn the heat off and leave for 30 minutes with a lid on. Drain using a sieve.
• Return the azuki beans to the saucepan, fill the pan with water to just cover the beans. Bring it to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium low so that the beans are gently simmering.
• Cook for 15-20 minutes until the beans are cooked through (note 3). If the beans surface above the water level, add some water to keep the beans just below the water level (note 4). Remove the scum as it surfaces.
• Turn the heat off and leave for 30 minutes with the lid on. Drain using a sieve with a bowl beneath it so that the liquid can be collected in the bowl.
• Return the beans to the pan.
• Gently tilt the bowl of liquid and drain the liquid slowly. At the bottom of the bowl, you will see a thick layer of the azuki bean powder diluted in the liquid. Transfer this to the pan.
• Add sugar and gently mix the sugar into the azuki beans using a soft spatula.
• Heat the pan with azuki beans over medium heat. The beans should become watery as it starts boiling.
• Cook for about 10 minutes. During this time gently mix the beans occasionally by moving the spatula from one edge to the other edge and draw a wide straight line.
• Check the consistency of the paste: Draw a line at the bottom of the pan with the spatula. If you can see the bottom of the pan and the beans start closing the line after hesitating momentarily, it is the right consistency (note 5).
• Add glucose if using and a pinch of salt, then gently mix. Remove from the heat.
• Transfer the bean paste to a tray. Cover it with cling wrap removing air pockets as much as possible (note 6). When cooled down, store in the fridge up to 4 days or freeze it in a zip lock bag up to 2 months.

BENIHANA AZUKI RED BEAN ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Wash beans, and transfer beans, sugar, lemon juice, and water into a saucepan. Bring to boil, and boil uncovered for 3 minutes.
• Decrease the heat to low and cover the pan, and cook the beans until very tender, adding additional water as needed, 2 1/2 - 3 hours. The beans should be very tender.
• When done, there should be a total of 3 cups beans and liquid. If not enough liquid, add more water to make 3 cups total mixture. If too much water, drain some liquid.
• Let the mixture cool 5 minutes. Strain the bean mixture through a sieve. Discard bean skins left in the sieve.
• Refrigerate the bean mixture 2 - 3 hours until cold.
• Heat the milk and cream to simmer in a saucepan.
• Combine egg yolks, and sugar in a bowl, stirring with a wire whisk. Stir 1/4 cup of the hot cream/milk mixture into the egg/sugar mixture; combine well.
• Transfer the egg/sugar mixture into the milk/cream mixture in the saucepan.
• Place the saucepan over low heat and stir until mixture thickens somewhat, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add vanilla, and refrigerate 2 - 3 hours until cold.
• Combine bean mixture and custard mixture and process according to your ice cream maker instructions.