Fernet Flank Steak

Perhaps it was a long night, but it occurred to me that the dark amaro (bitter) flavor of Fernet might go well with a strongly-flavored beef steak, especially one with a little metallic edge; think of it like a BBQ sauce for adults. This has just a faint Fernet flavor, certainly not overwhelming.

A slight fernet edge, served with grilled polenta and radicchio

We got a cut that looked like a Flank Steak from Carnisseria Cruz Morales in el Mercat de Sant Antoni; it was 640g so we split it into a 310g piece for this, and the 340g piece for our usual rosemary/garlic marinade.

310 g   Flank Steak, or other flavorful cut appropriate to the grill
100 ml  Fernet Branca
        Salt

Poke holes on both sides of the Steak with a fork.

Sprinkle generously with Salt.

Put in a zip-top bag and add the Fernet.

Marinade overnight.

Pour off the Fernet marinade; optionally reduce and strain for a sauce (it loses its color!)

Grill hot and fast, cook to medium rare.

Slice and serve, with the reduced liquid.

This wasn't overwhelming as I feared, and I wouldn't mind a more assertive flavor. With only 100ml of Fernet, it's not an expensive investment. If I were competing in a BBQ competition, I think I'd use Fernet as a secret ingredient. I'm considering adding Sugar to it next time to give a slight BBQ-sauce-like glaze.

Bay Leaf Ice Cream

I love the smell of fresh Bay, especially when slightly toasted -- it's exotic, herbaceous, slightly fruity -- and I thought it might be appropriate for an unusual ice cream. Fortunately, Irene has a Bay plant the thrives here on our Barcelona terrace, so she gave me a good sized branch. I wanted coax the flavors from the fresh leaves, as well as the aromatics from slightly toasted ones, so I did half-and-half. I doubt this would work with store-bought dry Bay leaves but tell me if you try it.

The procedure was pretty much a basic vanilla ice cream (or our Saffron one), but with the milk/cream first infused with Bay. The taste is appealing, and slightly exotic without being "weird"; it seems like something I'd find in a fancy restaurant. 

The faintest green cast and an inviting aroma

 20 g      Bay Leaves, fresh

300 ml     Milk, whole

400 ml     Cream

170 g      Sugar

    pinch  Salt

  3 whole  Eggs, whipped

Large branch of Irene's Bay plant

Pull the leaves from the Bay branch.

Gently toast 10 g of them in a dry skillet until the slightly brown and begin releasing their aroma.

In a pot, add the Milk and Cream, the raw and toasted Bay leaves.

Cover and let steep on low heat for an hour to infuse.

Strain and capture the Milk/Cream, then add back to the clean pot.

Add the Sugar and Salt to the still-hot mixture, and stir to dissolve.

Whip the eggs.

Ensure the mixture isn't too hot, probably 50c or less, and whisk in the Eggs.

Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it hits 78-80c and the mixture starts to thicken a bit; once it starts, it thickens quickly, so be careful when it's above 70c.

Strain into a large pourable bowl or similar; I use a 1L measuring cup and get about 900 ml.

Cover with plastic film, pressing onto the surface to prevent a skin.

Let cool, then chill overnight in the fridge.

Process with an ice cream churn 20-30 minutes, then scoop into containers, cover directly with film, and freeze overnight.

It helps to let it thaw a little so it's scoopable, maybe 20-30 minutes in the fridge.

Serve.