What is pandan?
Pandan is a tropical leaf with a unique flavor that originates from Southeast Asia. The key question here is what does pandan taste like? To me, pandan tastes like coconut and sweet corn with someone mowing their lawn in the distance. Sweet and nutty with savory undertones and the slightest touch of grassiness. The more scientific explanation for pandan’s unique flavor lies with 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP), a compound that gives freshly baked bread, jasmine rice and basmati rice their signature nutty aroma. This explains why pandan is often used when cooking rice.
What’s the best way to infuse pandan flavor?
In the process of recipe testing I tried 4 different methods for infusing pandan:
- Tying leaves into a knot and steeping
- Blending then straining before heating
- Blending then straining after heating
- Blending then straining after heating and curing in the refrigerator
After several taste tests I preferred the version that calls for blending then straining AFTER heating. This strategy maximizes the nutty aroma of pandan leaves by infusing it in cream. Blending releases far more flavor than steeping alone, allowing you to use a lesser quantity of pandan. Some of the flavor compounds in pandan are heat sensitive, hence why it’s typically steamed or quickly cooked. Straining after curing in the refrigerator was difficult and left behind fibrous leaf particles, with only minimal improvement in flavor.
Pandan Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 30 g pandan leaves frozen or fresh, washed
- 350 mL heavy cream
- 400 mL whole milk
- 2 large egg yolks
- 120 g granulated sugar
- 20 g dextrose sub granulated sugar
- 30 g skim milk powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 g locust bean gum sub 2 large egg yolks + 10g cornstarch dissolved in 20g cold milk
Instructions
- Cut pandan leaves into 1 inch segments with scissors. Blend all ingredients together then transfer to a sauce pot.
- Prepare an ice bath in a large container with equal parts ice and water. Set aside.
- Bring the mixture to a very gentle simmer (180F) over medium heat, stirring frequently.
- Pass the mixture through a cheesecloth set over a strainer to remove pandan pieces. Transfer the cooked ice cream base to a heatproof container. Place heatproof container in the ice bath to cool. Once cool, cover and set in the fridge overnight, ideally at least 8 hours to develop body and flavor.
- Churn the ice cream base according to machine directions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 4 hours to fully firm up.
