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Cracked Ice

To get professional quality cracked ice, buy an ice machine or purchase cracked ice from the store. However, a weak substitution can be made, depending on your ice cubes. If you have the old-school 12-cube trays that produce large, trapezoidahedral "cubes", then empty a few trays into a bag or dish towel. Lay the cubes out on a board or counter so that there is only a single layer of cubes, and whack them firmly with a frying pan, meat tenderizer or mallet. Each cube should only be broken once or twice.

If you have the good, multiple small-cube trays, then cracked ice is more easily made. Fill the trays and put them in the freezer. Check on them periodically - once they are near frozen but still liquid inside, shake them and break them a little bit. Freeze once more - when they are almost ready again, do the same but transfer them into an "ice service" tray and discard the excess water. This will give the cubes an irregular cracked texture.

Submitted By: Chris on 07-13-06  (Definition has not yet been rated)