Turkish ice cream – Maras dondurmasi

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 1 liter whole milk, fresh
• 250 g sugar, as desired
• 1 tbsp drink powder (instant powder Salep)
• 1 packet of vanilla sugar
• 100 g block chocolate
• 1 pack of orange(s), zest
• 1 lemon zest
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, optional

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest period approx. 1 day; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 1 day 1 hour 10 minutes

Bring the milk and sugar to a boil. Dilute the salep with a little water and a little milk. No lumps should form. If the salep is diluted, it will resemble paste. To avoid lumps, you can also mix it with a hand blender. Gradually add the salep mixture to the boiling milk and continue to cook, stirring constantly. When it boils, it will foam. Just keep stirring and simmer for about five minutes. Then add the vanilla sugar. Let the milk mixture cool, stirring occasionally. Every 15 minutes, use a ladle to help the liquid cool down. Divide the milk mixture into four portions and prepare the different flavors. Set aside some of the milk mixture for the vanilla ice cream. For the chocolate ice cream, add the chocolate block before the milk cools and mix. (Add more or less chocolate to taste.) For the orange ice cream, add the orange zest to the milk mixture and mix. To make the lemon ice cream, grate the lemon zest and add it to the milk mixture. If desired, you can also add a little more lemon juice. Put each type of ice cream into separate containers, cover, and place in the freezer. Remove every 30 minutes, stir, and then return it to the freezer. Repeat this process four to five times. This will make the ice cream nice and creamy and easier to portion. Leave to set overnight. Remove the ice cream from the freezer about 30-45 minutes before serving, as it is very solid and cannot be portioned otherwise. Note: Salep was originally obtained from an orchid root. This plant is now a protected species, and the powder derived from it is not permitted to be imported into the EU. Chemically produced instant powder, however, imparts the original flavor.