edible Marin and Wine Country Summer 2010 : Page 57
Scream so smooth, we need to look to the futuristic world of the Pacojet, an ice cream-making technology that, as its name suggests, has common roots with the jet engine. “It’s crazy what comes out of here,” said Goldner, as he turned on one of the five Swiss-made machines the size of a coffee maker. The machine began to literally scream in the background. The Pacojet blade spins at about 2,000 revolu- tions per minute, shaving off layers of the frozen mixture that comes out of Kurz’s freezing “contraption” at -10F. It shaves it to a width of 2 microns—a microscopic one millionth of a meter. A one-quart canister takes four minutes to process. A single serving like the perfectly textured scoop Goldner served me takes just 20 seconds. The Pacojet has turned the frozen mixture of only nuts or fruit, sugar and a little water into a smooth blend of packed, unadulterated flavor. “That is perfection,” he said as he explained the importance of temperature prior to processing in the Pacojet and also when it’s served (at around +10 F). The hand crank ice cream maker and ice crystals found in my “water ice” on the New Jersey shore now seem a quaint relic from childhood. Kurz, who had his very own physics lab in high school, Goldner, an ardent frozen dessert devotee in pursuit of perfection, and former Google cook Lau were just three strangers who seren- dipitously met two years ago. Now, through experimentation and problem solving, they’ve taken sorbet to new gastronomic heights. “Why do navel oranges go bitter while Valencia oranges don’t? “ Kurz asks (Answer: it’s caused by a compound called limonin found in the pith and seeds of the navel oranges.). “We’ve learned a lot about food chemistry and how to find the best fruit, process it and repeat,” he said. “Rather than creating a recipe, we have a pattern we follow based on sugar or degrees brix.” The quality control they exercise over their product seems rare in the world of frozen desserts. No preordered mixes, no stabilizers like guar gum, minimal sugar and water make this sorbet unique. “I don’t know anyone in the world who is doing what we are doing,” said Goldner, a self-described frozen dessert snob. “Especially with nuts and without sta- bilizers.” Stabilizers are widely used by other frozen dessert makers to prevent crystallization. Another thing that sets Scream’s sorbet apart is that its overrun—the term used to describe the percentage of air within the final product—is almost nil. In other words, when a Scream sorbet melts, it still has almost the same volume. This is very different from, say, supermarket-bought ice cream, which can be up to 100 percent overrun. “Ben and Jerry’s is a super- premium ice cream and has about 20 percent overrun. Haagen Dazs is in the same category, but it’s a little denser at 15 percent overrun, explained Kurz. We try to add as little air as possible— changing the way we use the Pacojet to defeat its normal func- tion of making something light and fluffy. Instead, we want dense and intense.” Gelato, by definition, has less air than ice creams, but still not as low as the Scream sorbets. On the verge of opening their first retail store and produc- tion kitchen in Oakland, the team still makes small batches of sorbet, quart by quart. “It’s taking the quality of sorbet you see at high end restaurants and taking it to a wider audi- ence,” said Kurz, referring to the French Laundry. “No one has tried to make a range of flavors at this quality.” Besides the use of the ultra high-tech Pacojet, the care with which they source their ingredients greatly distinguishes the process of making Scream sorbet. They select the fruit or nut flavorings for every batch themselves, thereby controlling the quality and consistency. From yellow limes to bergamot, walnuts, kabocha squash, delicate raw almonds and laven- der, the team hand selects the ingredients, carefully control- ling for sugar content. Using the refractometer, each batch is measured in degrees brix. It’s extremely labor-intensive work. Kurz explained that frozen des- serts with a high brix content must be served very cold in order for them to be “scoopable.” Use of the Pacojet allows Scream to make sorbet using less sugar and able to be served at a warmer temperature, making for a smoother, creamier texture. The result is an experience you are not likely to forget. “Our goal” said Goldner, “is to make the best sorbet in the world. In fact, we already are making the best in the US outside select restaurants.” My recommendation: try it and you might well agree. Scream can be found at the Marin Civic Center Farmers’ Market on Thursdays and Sundays and at the Mill Valley Farmers’ Market (on East Blithedale Avenue) on Fridays. Samples are handed out with pride. Flavors include, but are not limited to, Bergamot-Almond, Black Sesame-Almond, Cashew-Caramel, Coconut-Chocolate, Coconut-Thai Basil, Kettle Corn, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Guava, Hazelnut-Chocolate, Lemon-Shiso, Lime- Jasmine, Macadamia-Vanilla, Pistachio, Sweet Potato Pie and Watermelon. www.screamsorbet.com Andrea Blum is a journalist by profession, cook by avocation and curious about way too many things to list, especially cultures other than her own. Her travels have led her to France and Italy where she made cheese and started a cooking school in Chianti and to the Tibetan Highlands where she ate raw yak and starchy noodles with numbing spices. Of particular interest to her are knowing where her food comes from, the health of the planet and its soil and ice. She is currently a reporter covering the environ- ment north of San Francisco. EDIBLE MARIN & WINE COUNTRY SUMMER 2010 | 57 Photo: Joey Celis, Joricel.com
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