ROSEMARY ICE CREAM

May 5, 2009 Edible Boston

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By Steve Johnson

Rendezvous, Cambridge

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Makes 6 servings.

2 large sprigs of fresh rosemary, rinsed and drained, leaves picked from the stem

3 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

¹/3 cup honey

¼ cup white granulated sugar

1 pinch of salt

9 large egg yolks

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1. Prepare home ice cream maker.

2. In a large saucepan, add the rosemary to the heavy cream, milk, honey and sugar. Gently heat until just below the simmer, occasionally stirring slowly to dissolve the honey and sugar. Light steam will begin to rise from the surface.

3. In a medium-size mixing bowl, place the egg yolks. Gently whisk the yolks just enough to break them up.

4. Temper the warm liquid mixture into the egg yolks by ladling only a small amount at a time and gently stirring with a whisk as you proceed. This step is very crucial to the success of the ice cream custard—by gradually heating the egg yolks in this manner you will help to prevent curdling.

5. When you have completed mixing the hot cream/milk mixture into the yolks, return the custard base to the saucepan. Turn the heat on low, and gently heat the custard, stirring constantly with a ladle or wooden spoon. When the custard is quite warm and starts to coat the spoon, immediately remove it from the heat and pour it through a fine sieve into a stainless steel bowl.

6. The classic test for doneness is to remove the spoon or ladle from the custard and run your fingertip across the back of it; if the custard runs, it needs to cook longer. If it coats the back of the ladle with a satiny thickness and the trace of your fingertip remains unmoved, then the custard is cooked sufficiently.

*** This is clearly the crucial moment in the preparation of the ice cream base—undercooked and the ice cream won’t set up properly when churning; overcooked and you will need to throw the whole thing out and start over!

7. Set the bowl into an ice bath (a larger bowl of cold water with ice in it). Discard the rosemary leaves. Stir the custard until it cools down and then chill it well for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator or overnight before churning in the ice cream maker.