Ginger milk curd 汁撞奶

[Ce'nedra]

God I love this stuff! Silky, smooth and slinky mmm...

Looking at the number of ingredients (ginger juice, milk and sugar), it seems easy enough but I've never attempted it before and was hoping someone could offer a tried and true recipe?

[Ce'nedra]

Ok I just found one:

http://cookiemonzters.blogspot.com/2007/01...inger-milk.html

Will give it a try (and I encourage everyone else to as well!).

I have a Q though, will the added white vinegar affect the taste? I'm not sure I want a sour dessert...

EDIT:

After some researching, it appears that other than the neccessary FRESH milk, the "Low fat, high calcium" variety is recommended.

P.S. If anyone can provide any tips on how to let the pudding set (i.e. not runny) without having a yogurt-like texture, I'd be really grateful!

Edited November 20, 2008 by Ce'nedra (log)

[Ptipois]

I was taught how to make it in Guangzhou and it is quite easy, really. The choice of ingredients, though, is important.

Milk (whole milk of course) has to be fatty and rich in caseine. In China they use Guangdong buffalo milk. Here in France I use Norman milk or milk from Jersey cows. I suppose I'll also use this extra-fatty milk to make this other South Chinese milk pudding, "double-skin milk", which is a lot more difficult to make than ginger milk (but incredibly yummy).

Second ingredient that requires special care: the ginger. It shouldn't be young ginger, but old, mature ginger, with a high starch level. It is the ginger starch that coagulates the milk.

The secret lies in the pouring of the milk from one saucepan to the other. Explanations below.

Serves 4.

Peel a large quantity (about 100-150 g) of mature ginger using a teaspoon (the only utensil that will remove the skin without scraping off the underskin, which contains a lot of starch and flavor). Grate it with a Microplane grater into a bowl, taking care not to lose any juice. Gather all the grated ginger into a small strainer and carefully squeeze out all the juice into the bowl. Pour the juice into the bottom of 4 china bowls, stirring it so it does not settle at the bottom of the first bowl. Set aside.

Measure 4 china bowlfuls of fatty milk. Have ready two saucepans. Pour milk into one and heat slowly. Take off the heat at the first sign of smoke ("before it begins smoking" is the instructions I got at the time). Add 3 tablespoonfuls of sugar, mix quickly, then, holding the saucepan high, pour the milk into the other saucepan. Then into the first saucepan. Pour the milk ten times from one saucepan to the other, then pour it into the bowls containing the ginger juice and do not disturb the milk until it has set.

It should set within three to five minutes. Please note that it does depend on the temperature and quality of the air: altitude is an issue, I have noticed that in hilly landscapes the setting takes longer. It may sometimes take as long as ten minutes, but it eventually always does set. Wait for the custard to be rather firmly set before eating. It will remain sort of shaky though.

Ginger milk, once set, may be refrigerated and eaten chilled. I think it is even tastier that way.

(Edit: I recommend against lowfat milk and vinegar. The milk has to be rich, and the preparation needs only milk, ginger and sugar. Nothing else.)

Edited November 20, 2008 by Ptipois (log)

[helenjp]

Yes, mature ginger is the trick! This is a good time of year to make it (in the northern hemisphere), after the main ginger harvest. I thought I invented this all by myself until I discovered that it was a well-known Chinese dish - made myself a hot ginger milk drink and forgot to drink it.

[Ce'nedra]

Thanks for the great help guys!

For the aged ginger...just about how old? I'm not sure I quite understand this business about old ginger...

[Ptipois]

Just don't use green (immature) ginger but mature ginger.

[rarerollingobject]

Ce'nedra; young ginger isn't really widely available in Sydney anyway, outside Asian shops, and even there it's relatively rare, so just about any ginger you'd get from Coles/Woolies/run of the mill greengrocers is the old stuff.

Young ginger has a very thin, almost translucent skin, usually golden yellow or greenish, with a pinkish hue around the nubbins. It has a much softer ginger taste and you don't generally have to peel it; old ginger is the standard, khaki-skinned stuff you can get in any supermarket and is what's called for when making this dessert.

[Ce'nedra]

rarerollingobject: Thanks for the heads up -you learn something new everyday!