It has been absolutely sweltering in New York recently, and, since I don’t have central A/C, ice cream has been a savior to me. As you may know by now, while I love dessert, I actually don’t like foods that are particularly sweet. So I’m often looking for ways to add a savory element through the use of herbs, savory spices, or salty elements like miso. I was incredibly excited when I developed this basil ice cream recipe because it is the perfect marriage of sweet and savory.
The basil is ground up with sugar and lemon zest and steeped in the custard to infuse the ice cream base with a bright herby and peppery flavor. To bring the ice cream clearly into the dessert category, I roasted strawberries with a hint of lemon juice, black pepper, and honey and stirred them into the ice cream. The pieces of strawberry cut through some of the grassiness of the basil and add a nice bite of sweet and tart. I learned about the trick of roasting strawberries from David Lebovitz’s blog. Roasting the strawberries in a sweetener like sugar or honey helps them release their water content and take in some of the sugar content, preventing the strawberries from becoming hard, icy chunks when frozen.
The end result is heavenly. The roasted strawberries have a wonderfully concentrated flavor which complements the creamy basil-infused ice cream base. This ice cream has plenty of flavor and can definitely stand alone or be used atop another dessert.
Roasted strawberry basil ice cream
Course: Cakes and custardsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Quick bakeThis roasted strawberry basil ice cream combines an herby and slightly peppery base with sweet pockets of honey-roasted strawberries for a refreshing ice cream. These classic summer flavors make this the perfect ice cream to enjoy on a hot summer day.
Ingredients
- For the strawberries
1lb of strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 Tbsp honey
Generous several turns of freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp lemon juice
- For the ice cream base
2/3 cup (130g) granulated sugar
1 cup packed basil leaves
zest of one lemon
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
5 egg yolks
pinch of salt
Instructions
- Roast the strawberries
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Place the strawberries in a glass baking dish. Add the honey, lemon juice, and black pepper and stir until well-combined.
- Roast for 30 to 40 minutes until the juices have released from the berries and thickened to an almost jammy consistency, stirring two to three times during baking. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. The strawberries can be placed in a storage container and kept in the refrigerator for several days.
- Make the ice cream base
- Add the sugar, basil leaves, and lemon zest to a food processor. Pulse until the basil is torn into very small pieces. Then transfer to a large saucepan along with one cup of the heavy cream and one cup of milk. Stir over medium low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture just starts to steam. Remove from the heat.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly stream in some of the hot cream mixture, whisking vigorously. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan that holds the remaining hot cream, while continuing to whisk. Add a pinch of salt. Return to the heat, stirring constantly, until the cream mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spatula. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes.
- Add the remaining 1 cup of cold heavy cream to a large mixing bowl. Strain the hot custard base into the cold heavy cream, using a fine mesh sieve to catch any of the basil leaves. Stir the mixture together, and let sit at room temperature until slightly cooled or stir over an ice bath. Then, refrigerate overnight, until completely chilled.
- Churn the ice cream according to the manufacturer’s instructions for your ice cream maker. Add in the roasted strawberries in the last few minutes of churning.
Leave a comment