In years gone by, ice cream would still have been below freezing when served. The way in which ice cream is made has developed over the years, meaning that it can be served at slightly warmer temperatures. In these circumstances it’s easier to pick up sweet tastes than any of the other primary tastes. When things are too cold it can be difficult for them to pick up the tastes in food. Temperature has an effect on the taste buds. Why is salted caramel so good in ice cream? It’s all about getting the perfect balance – that’s what leads to those fireworks on your tongue. Too much salt could ruin your chips and likewise too much salt can ruin the flavour of caramel too. The key thing in all of this though is ratio. Salt also acts as an enhancer of flavour (that’s why you sprinkle it on your chips, for instance), so that’s why it makes caramel taste even better. Salted caramel combines two of these, giving an effect that chefs call “flavour layering”. These are sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami. There are five primary tastes that our taste buds are able to pick up on. Why do sweet and salty things taste good together? By 1980, it was named “Best Sweet in France”! From there, the popularity of the combination has grown to become the phenomenon we know today. Brittany produced delicious salted butter and Le Roux had the idea of using it to produce a salted caramel. He wanted to develop a unique product that would help him to stand out from his competitors, while making use of local produce. Henri Le Roux was a chocolatier who opened a store in Brittany in the late 1970s. However, it is true that it was a Frenchman who first came up with the idea of salted caramel. Not literally alongside snails and fish soup, obviously we think that may be an innovation too far. Think of France and you think of culinary excellence, and it turns out that salted caramel can be added to the list of French classics, alongside escargot and bouillabaisse.

Who first thought of adding salt to caramel? However, as we combine enquiring minds with our love of salted caramel ice cream, we wanted to delve a little deeper into working out why this combination works so well. That’s why our Salted Caramel Ice Cream is one of our most popular flavours. How can you elevate that sweet and salty sensory sensation even further? By tantalising your taste buds with a big chill and enjoying it as ice cream. The thing is, that mixture of salt and sweet seems like it shouldn’t really work but it DOES. We tried it just for a moment there… and it was a terrible moment. Nowadays, though, it’s hard to imagine being without it. Makes about 1 quart (1 l).Īdapted from Williams-Sonoma Dessert of the Day, by Kim Laidlaw (Weldon Owen, 2013).Ten years ago, you probably weren’t eating salted caramel. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days, before serving. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours. Remove the custard from the ice bath and press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface. Set the bowl in an ice bath and stir the custard occasionally until cool. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and keeping the custard at a low simmer, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 4–6 minutes. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, salt, the 2 Tbs. Cook over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, about 5 minutes. oz./ 180 ml) of the cream into the hot syrup, taking care it does not splash. Stop stirring and cook until the syrup is a deep amber, about 6 minutes, swirling the pan to ensure even cooking. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes.

In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the 3/4 cup (6 oz./185 g) sugar and the lemon juice with 2 Tbs.

Salted ice cream