Basil Custard Ice Cream

We first tasted basil ice cream in a castle in Germany. We had to have more! So I found some recipes and combined them.

Here’s the theory:

INGREDIENTS

2 cups whole milk

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

½ cup sugar

4 large egg yolks

½ cup well-chilled heavy cream

Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer

an ice cream maker

PREPARATION

Bring milk, basil, 1/4 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring, then remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes. Transfer to a blender (reserve saucepan) and blend until basil is finely ground, about 1 minute.

Beat together yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale, about 1 minute. 

Add milk mixture in a stream, beating until combined well. Pour mixture into reserved saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture coats back of spoon and registers 175°F on thermometer (do not let boil).

Immediately remove from heat and pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl. Set bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and stir until cold, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in cream and freeze in ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 2 hours.

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Now here’s what I actually did. The result was delicious, but it was yellow (from the yolks), not green!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups half & half

½ cup finely chopped fresh basil

½ cup sugar

4 large egg yolks

1½ cups more well-chilled half & half

PREPARATION

Bring milk, basil, 1/4 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring, then turn heat down and let it simmer 30 minutes. Transfer to a food processor (save the saucepan) and blend until basil is finely ground, about 1 minute.

Beat together yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl with a whisk until thick and pale, about 1 minute. Add some of the milk mixture in a stream, beating until combined well.

Pour mixture into reserved saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture coats back of spoon (do not let boil). Warning: this may be quick. Taste regularly to make sure it’s yummy. Add the rest of the half & half. Taste some more.

Refrigerate the mixture for half an hour or so. Freeze in ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least an hour.

Results: Really, really good.

Serving Suggestions:

·         Grille some nectarines (perhaps in a honey/cayenne rub?), and serve with the ice cream.

·         Sprinkle fresh raspberries on top, maybe a sprig of fresh basil beside.