Bastani irani (rosewater & saffron ice cream)

Eggs	6 large yolks
Cream, heavy	1 ½ cups
Milk, whole	1 ½ cups
Sugar	¾ cup
Salt, kosher	½ teaspoon
Saffron, finely ground	½ teaspoon
Rosewater, preferably Sadaf brand	¼ cup
Vanilla extract	½ teaspoon
Roses, dried	Garnish

1. Set a medium bowl in a large bowl of iced water. 
2. In another medium bowl, whisk the yolks until pale, 1 to 2 minutes. 
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the cream with the milk, sugar, salt, and saffron. 
4. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat, whisking until the sugar is completely dissolved. 
5. Very gradually whisk half of the hot cream mixture into the beaten yolks in a thin stream, then whisk this mixture back into the saucepan. 
6. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thick enough to lightly coat the back of the spoon, about 12 minutes; don’t let it boil. 
7. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into the bowl set in the iced water. 
8. Let the custard cool completely, stirring occasionally. 
9. Stir in the rosewater and vanilla. 
10. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the custard, and refrigerate until well chilled, about 4 hours. 
11. Pour the custard base into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 
12. Transfer the ice cream to a chilled 9-by-4-inch metal loaf pan, cover, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. 
13. Serve garnished with the dried roses. 

Recipe from Food&Wine Magazine, March 2017.

Pressure-cooked Japanese beef curry

Onions, yellow, thinly sliced	1 pound
Shallots, thinly sliced	½ pound
Butter, unsalted	3 tablespoons
Baking soda	½ teaspoon
Salt, kosher
Pepper, freshly ground
Oil, sunflower	1 tablespoon
Beef chuck, cut into 1-inch chunks	2 pounds
Garlic, crushed	6 cloves
Chicken stock	½ cup ¼ cup
Soy sauce, Japanese	1 tablespoon
Japanese curry roux	2 to 3 cubes
Rice, cooked

Note: This recipe uses an Instant Pot.

1. Press Sauté and heat the pot until the indicator reads Hot. 
2. Melt the butter, then add the onions, shallots, and baking soda; sauté until the onions start to release their moisture, about 5 minutes. 
3. Close the lid, press Manual, and cook for 20 minutes; use the quick release method to depressurize. 
4. Remove the lid, press Sauté, press Adjust to select More, and cook, stirring constantly, until most of the moisture has evaporated. 
5. Press Cancel and Sauté to reduce the temperature, and continue stirring until the onions are deep golden brown and all the moisture has evaporated, about 12 minutes. 
6. Season with salt and pepper; transfer to a small bowl and set aside. 
7. Press Cancel, press Sauté, and then press Adjust to select More. 
8. Season the beef with salt and pepper. 
9. Add the oil to the pot, ensuring the bottom is evenly coated. 
10. Add the beef in a single layer, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then stir, until browned on all sides; transfer to a bowl. 
11. Add the garlic, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
12. Add ½-cup stock and deglaze the pot with a wooden spoon. 
13. Return the meat and its juices to the pot with the remaining ¼-cup stock, soy sauce, and onion purée; mix well. 
14. Close the lid, press Manual, and cook for 32 minutes; naturally release the pressure for 15 minutes, then release the remaining pressure before opening the lid. 
15. Taste the stew, then mix in the Japanese curry roux cubes one by one, tasting between additions, until it achieves the right balance of flavors. 
16. Serve over rice.

Recipe from PressureCookerRecipes.com.

Strawberry-honey cake with sour whipped cream

Strawberries, hulled, quartered	1 pound +
Sugar, granulated	¼ cup + 1 cup
Butter, unsalted, room temperature	¾ cup + 1 tablespoon +
Flour, all-purpose	2 1/3 cups +
Baking powder	1 teaspoon
Baking soda	½ teaspoon
Salt, kosher	1 teaspoon
Eggs, room temperature	3 large yolks + 2 large
Sour cream	1/3 cup + 1 cup
Lemon juice, fresh	1 teaspoon
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon
Honey, wildflower or clover	¾ cup
Water	¼ cup
Cream, heavy	1 cup

1. In a medium bowl, mix the strawberries with ¼-cup sugar; cover and refrigerate overnight. 
2. Strain the berries through a fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl; reserve the syrup for serving. 
3. In a food processor, pulse the macerated berries until finely chopped. 
4. Preheat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the center. 
5. Generously butter a 12-cup bundt pan, and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. 
6. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
7. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the ¾-cup butter with 1-cup sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 
8. Reduce the speed to low, and beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just incorporated; scrape down the sides of the bowl.
9. Beat in the 1/3-cup sour cream, juice, and vanilla, then beat in the chopped strawberries. 
10. Beat in the flour mixture until just combined.
11. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs. 
12. Transfer to a rack, and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. 
13. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 
14. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack, and then set the rack on the baking sheet. 
15. In a small saucepan, bring the honey, 1-tablespoon butter, and water to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until the honey is dissolved, about 3 minutes. 
16. Using a wooden skewer, gently poke holes all over the cake; the more holes, the more the honey mixture will penetrate every last bite of the cake. 
17. Slowly pour the honey syrup over the top, letting it get absorbed before adding more. 
18. Let the cake cool completely. 
19. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the heavy cream and 1-cup sour cream until soft peaks form. 
20. Slice the cake, and serve with the sour whipped cream, strawberry syrup, and additional fresh strawberries. 

Recipe from Food&Wine Magazine, April 2017.