Thai Tea Semifreddo
Holds: frozen
Allergens: dairy
- Thai Tea Baked AlaskaAragma, Pune
Method
chefjasonmckinney.com/notebook/elizabeth-thai-tea-semifreddo
- 1
Brew the tea: Pour 3,600ml of 80°C water over 180g loose Thai tea. Steep 5 minutes. Strain through fine sieve. You should have ~2,400ml brewed tea. Cool to room temperature.
- 2
Mix base: In a large bowl, whisk together 1,200g condensed milk + 2,400g brewed tea + 12g salt + 60g vanilla + 24g cardamom (crushed pods). Taste — it should be sweet, creamy, aromatic. Strain out cardamom pods if desired.
- 3
Whip cream: In a separate bowl, whip 2,400g cold heavy cream to soft peaks (not stiff). Fold into tea base gently in 2-3 additions.
- 4
Freeze: Pour mixture into 150 small bowls (50g each) or into a loaf pan. Freeze overnight (6+ hours) until solid.
Plating
- Remove from freezer: Take bowls out 5 minutes before service to soften slightly.
- Torch: Use a culinary torch to caramelize the meringue dome. Work quickly — 20-30 seconds per bowl. Aim for golden-brown peaks with slight charring. The frozen semifreddo inside will stay frozen while the meringue torches.
- Garnish: Immediately after torching, add garnish: coconut liqueur drizzle, fresh mint leaf, toasted coconut flakes, dried banana chip.
- Plate immediately: Serve right away while meringue is still warm and crispy and semifreddo is cold.
Made it?
Mark it cooked and it goes in My kitchen, with a stamp for where I served it.Yield: 150 servings (50g bowls) | Prep: 20 min | Freeze: 6+ hours. Document subtitle: "Simple, Elegant, Torch-Ready". The meringue is swiss meringue; the plating above is the document's SERVICE (DAY OF) section for the finished dessert.
KEY NOTES
Temperature: The water bath is critical — it heats the egg whites safely to pasteurization temp (140°F/60°C). Do not skip this step.
Cream of tartar: Stabilizes the meringue and helps it hold peaks longer. Essential.
Torching: 2 torch stations will cut your time in half. Practice on a few bowls first.
Timing: Swiss meringue can be made day before and frozen. Torch day of, but within 30 minutes of plating.
No waste: Use the egg yolks for other recipes or save for future use.
Thai tea: Loose-leaf Lampang tea from Thailand works best. Do NOT use tea bags — they taste stale.
Consistency: The semifreddo should be creamy and silky, not icy. The condensed milk keeps it soft.
This one’s open because it’s in a film.
Club members can open every card in the notebook, written the way I cook them in a restaurant kitchen.