Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and halved (mine were actually frozen, left over from picking at Red Fire Farm earlier in the summer)
- 6 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- a pinch of salt
- fresh basil for garnish, optional
Directions
- In a small saucepan heat the berries with 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar, and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- Mash the berries with a potato masher. Strain a small amount (about 1/8 cup) of the macerated berries out and set aside in a bowl.
- Puree the rest of the cooked berries and liquid in a blender. Set in the fridge to cool.
- Mix milk, sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup of the cream in a saucepan and heat until warm but not boiling.
- Whisk together egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking the entire time so the yolks don’t cook.
- Transfer the entire mixture back to the saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring the entire time, until the mixture is thick, about 7-10 minutes.
- Pour the remaining cup of cream into a glass bowl and set the bowl on ice over a larger bowl.
- Pour the milk/egg mixture into the bowl of cream, stirring often.
- Stir the vanilla and macerated strawberries into the mixture.
- Add the strawberry puree and keep stirring the mixture in the bowl over the ice bath until cooled down.
- Chill the mixture in the fridge until completely cool. May take up to four hours. Can be chilled in the fridge for up to a few days before making ice cream.
- Pour mixture into cold ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions, usually about 25 minutes.
- Pour into an airtight container and freeze until firm.
- Served garnished with basil if desired.
Note: I think serving this with a small lump of gorgonzola cheese and a drizzle of balsamic (and maybe even some pine nuts toasted with salt) would do it perfect justice. I just didn’t have those ingredients the first time around.