Few people eat more ice cream than Norwegians, even though almost the entire annual consumption of 13 liters per person takes place in the summer months.
Although the knowledge of ice cream production is said to come from China, Norway can take some credit for making it possible to produce in some regions of Europe. When the Swiss salesman Carlo Gatti brought ice cream to London in the 1850s, he became the first person to offer the novelty to the general public. To ensure a steady supply of ice cream, he imported large quantities of glacier ice from Norway.
Today, the ice cream industry in Norway employs around 1,000 people. They produce around 54 million litres of the delicious dessert every year.
Although ice cream is a relatively new invention in the West, the use of ice as a physical remedy has a long history. The father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, encouraged his ancient Greek patients to eat ice “as it livens the lifejuices and increases the well-being.”
Embassy chef Frode Selvaag loves to make ice cream. The Ambassador’s favorite is vanilla.
“And it’s not hard to make at all,” Selvaag insists.
“You get the best result with an ice cream maker, but it’s possible to do it without one, as well.”
In order to make a sorbet, no machine is necessary, only good raw materials. Quality ingredients are a must also for the ice cream.
“It’s really important to use a good vanilla bean,” Selvaag says.
“The best ones are from Tahiti. They cost around ten dollars each, but it’s worth it.”
Two delicious recipes:
2 lbs frozen rasberries
1/2 cup corn syrup or sweet glucose
4 oz. sugar
4 egg whites
- Keep the rasberries in the refrigerator overnight so that they are chilled but not frozen.
- Run the berries, sugar and corn syrup in a food processor for five minutes.
- Strain the mixture well enough to get rid of the seeds.
- Place in freezer for ten minutes.
- Meanwhile, whip the egg whites until you have a cloudy, but not too firm result. Carefully bring the beaten egg whites and the rasberry mixture together and place back in the freezer.
- Remove and stir every 30 minutes for two hours.
- If you have an ice cream maker, you can skip the egg whites and freeze the rasberry mixture the modern way.
An insider tip from chef Frode: “In order to make nice sorbét scoops, place the ice cream spoon in hot water between each scoop. After some practice, you can try scooping with regular spoons and create a professional look by shaping the sorbét as eggs. Practice is the thing.”
2.5 cups heavy whipping cream
2.5 cups whole milk
1/2 lbs. sugar
1 whole vanilla bean, split in two and carved
1/2 cup corn syrup or sweet glucose
12 egg yolks
- Prepare all the ingredients in individual bowls.
- Bring the milk, cream, sugar and vanilla to a boil. Include the whole bean, not just the insides you’ve just carved out.
- Combine the egg yolks in a large bowl.
- Pour the hot milk mixture over the egg yolks while stirring.
- Move the egg and milk mixture over to a large pot and heat.
- Remove from heat when the mixture feels like a thin vanilla sauce. It is very important that the mixture doesn’t get too hot, and under no circumstances should you allow it to boil. Once the mixture is heated, pour back into a bowl and let it cool down.
- For the ultimate taste sensation, let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for two days. When the two days are up, or when your patience grows thin, stir the mixture well and strain it. Make sure to keep the vanilla bean.
- Once you’ve cleaned it you can use it again later. Pour into an ice cream machine (remember to put it in the freezer 24 hours before use) and let it run for 20 minutes.