For me ice cream has to be spectacula! Yes, I do like the standard chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, but exotic flavors and well made ice cream is what gets me excited. This is a decadent egg yolk based frozen ice cream, one where you make a rich custard. The cream is first steeped with the fennel seed and orange zest for an intense flavored ice cream. It is an unusual combination, but one that is beautiful. Watch out you can easily finish a whole tub of this ice cream. This is another fabulous cookbook from Maria Elia. Her recipes are amazing and she is another one of my favorite chefs and cookbook authors. I cannot wait to get to London and eat at her restaurant.
For more wonderful recipes from this cookbook, click here.
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
Zest of 2 large oranges
1 teaspoon fennel (saunf) seed, lightly toasted
4 egg yolks, organic or free range
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup whole milk
Heat the cream slowly with the orange zest and fennel seeds stirring continuousl. Turn off before it begins to boil. Set aside to steep for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes add the sugar and milk and stir in. Heat on a very low flame. Whisk the egg yolks till very smooth. When the mixture is warm add 3 tablespoons to the yolks and whisk in to warm. Pour the egg yolks into the cream mix stirring continuousl. Keep stirring on a low flame till the mix thickens and coats the spatula. Strain through a very fine mesh sieve. Taste and adjust sugar as needed. Cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Make the ice cream in an ice cream maker as per the manufacturers instructions on the ice cream setting.