Amazing Japanese Black Sesame Pudding Recipe

They say ‘you eat with your eyes’ and that is essential for food to look attractive in order to tempt you to eat it. But there are some foods that really don’t look attractive. We recently made some black sesame and miso ice-cream and found it quite difficult to entice friends and family to try it because, well, it looks grey and dull. However, when we offered it to our Japanese friends, they jumped at the chance to try it. Black sesame is a popular ingredient in Japan. We have a Japanese black sesame pudding recipe. Honestly it looks like concrete. But we promise it is utterly delicious!

Black sesame paste has a wonderful nutty flavour. It might not be easily available in supermarkets but Asian stores should stock it. You could substitute tahini with literally a drop of sesame oil to get a similar flavour and texture – but not the colouring.

Method

Place egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and mix. Add the black sesame paste. (Save the egg whites for other recipes, like meringues. They freeze really well.)

Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan. Do not let them come to the boil.

Pour a little bit of the warmed milk and cream into the bowl with the egg yolks/sugar/sesame. Mix them together. Then pour back into the saucepan and heat through.

Just as bubbles start to form as the mixture is about to come to a boil, turn off the heat.

Take the gelatine leaves out of the water and squeeze them. Then add them to the mixture. The gelatine will dissolve quickly.

Stir well and place into a mould or a serving bowl.

When it’s cool, refrigerate until the mixture is set.

When it looks like concrete it’s ready!