Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Cantonese Ginger Milk Curd
薑汁撞奶
Recipe overview
Fresh ginger juice sets milk at about 70–75°C into a soft curd, without egg or gelatin. Keep bowls still for about ten minutes after pouring.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 100 g, yielding about 40 ml juice mature fresh ginger
- 800 ml whole milk
Sauce seasoning
- 40 g sugar
02
Tools
- ginger grater
- cheesecloth or fine sieve
- small bowl
- four shallow heatproof bowls
- measuring jug
- small saucepan
- food thermometer
- spoon
03
Steps
Step 1
Wash ginger
Scrub ginger and trim any spoiled parts.
Step 2
Peel and grate
Peel thinly and finely grate the ginger.
Step 3
Squeeze fresh juice
Press through cloth to collect about 40 ml; avoid day-old juice.
Step 4
Divide ginger juice
Put 10 ml juice in each heatproof bowl.
Step 5
Measure milk and sugar
Put milk and sugar in a small saucepan and stir to dissolve.
Step 6
Heat gently
Heat over medium-low, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking; do not boil.
Step 7
Check temperature
Stop heating when a thermometer reads about 70–75°C.
Step 8
Remove from heat
Move the pan off heat; if too hot, allow it to cool to 70–75°C.
Step 9
Swirl ginger juice
Gently swirl each bowl once to resuspend the ginger sediment.
Step 10
Pour milk once
Pour the hot milk swiftly into each ginger bowl from about 15 cm; do not stir.
Step 11
Leave undisturbed
Keep bowls completely still for ten minutes without moving or shaking them.
Step 12
Check the set
Serve only if the surface has set and does not flow on a gentle tilt.
Common mistakes
- Stale or insufficient ginger juice
- Milk too cool or boiled
- Stirring after pouring
- Calling an unset bowl a successful curd
Tips
Prepare four juice bowls before heating. Use a thermometer, pour once and leave entirely still; document a failure honestly if a bowl does not set.
