No-Churn Durian Ice Cream

Name: No-Churn Durian Ice Cream
Prep time: PT0D0H0M
Cook time: PT0D4H25M
Total time: PT0D4H25M
Yield: makes 6 cups
Ingredients: 1 cup durian flesh (fresh or thawed, frozen); 1 cup sweetened condensed milk, chilled; ¾ tsp. vanilla extract; ½ tsp. kosher salt; 1¾ cups heavy cream

The polarizing tropical fruit shines in this easy, no-gadgets-required recipe.

Serves
makes 6 cups
Cook
4 hours 25 minutes

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAOLA + MURRAY; FOOD STYLING BY OLIVIA MACK MCCOOL; PROP STYLING BY SOPHIE STRANGIO

By Megan Zhang

Published on September 26, 2022

Durian is a delicacy native to Southeast Asia, where it’s revered as the “king of fruits.” Its thick spike-covered husk may look intimidating, but crack it open and get past the pungent aroma, and you’ll find sweet, creamy flesh reminiscent of the most luxurious of custards. Durian tastes decadent on its own, and in Malaysian, Thai, Singaporean, and Indonesian cuisines, it features in a wide variety of savory and sweet dishes.

Durian has a striking smell and taste that, depending on who you ask, may call to mind fruity, milky, musky, and sulfurous notes. Though the ingredient’s pungency makes it rather divisive (it’s banned in many hotels and public transit systems throughout Southeast Asia), the bold and nuanced aroma is exactly what makes durian so highly prized. Balanced with the sweetness of condensed milk and fragrance of vanilla, the fruit’s singular flavor and naturally creamy texture shine in this easy no-churn ice cream.

Look for whole durian or packages of durian flesh (sometimes labeled “durian pulp”) in the produce section of your local Asian supermarket, or order the pulp frozen online here.

Featured in: "How to Choose and Cut a Durian, According to a Grower," by Megan Zhang.

Ingredients

1 cup durian flesh (fresh or thawed, frozen)
1 cup sweetened condensed milk, chilled
¾ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. kosher salt
1¾ cups heavy cream

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Instructions

Step 1

Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Place durian in the strainer and, using a silicone spatula, press on the fruit to force it through the strainer and into the bowl. (Discard any fibrous solids that remain in the strainer.) Whisk in the condensed milk, vanilla, and salt and set aside.

Step 2

To a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, add the heavy cream and beat just to stiff peaks. Using a silicone spatula, fold about a third of the whipped cream into the durian mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining whipped cream until just incorporated. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours. Scoop into bowls and serve immediately. Leftovers keep well in the freezer for up to 1 month.