VANILLA ICE CREAM
Vanilla ice cream seems perfectly straightforward and easy, and in many ways it’s one of the most unfussy flavors in this book. But to get it truly right, you need quality vanilla beans. To make our ice cream in large batches, we buy vanilla in bulk and wholesale—something that makes no sense for the home cook; so for the purpose of the book, we tested this recipe with some plump Madagascar vanilla beans we picked up at our local grocery store. When looking for a quality bean, make sure the beans look moist and “fat”—this means they are fresh and flavorful.
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (125 grams) sugar
1 plump vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
¼ teaspoon (1 gram) kosher salt
8 large egg yolks
1. Pour the cream and milk into a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water). Whisk in ½ cup (100 grams) of the sugar, the vanilla seeds and pod, and the salt and stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Warm the mixture until you see steam rising from the top. Remove from the heat, cover, and let the mixture steep for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean pod (see Ben’s Note on what to do with it) or, if you have a Vitamix, see the sidebar.
2. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and set another bowl over it. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, with a kitchen towel underneath it to prevent slipping, whisk together the egg yolks with the remaining 2 tablespoons (25 grams) sugar until uniform. While whisking, add a splash of the hot dairy mixture to the yolks. Continue to add the dairy mixture, whisking it in bit by bit, until you’ve added about half. Add the yolk mixture to the remaining dairy mixture in the double boiler. Set the heat under the double boiler to medium and cook the custard, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon and reducing the heat to medium-low as necessary, until steam begins to rise from the surface and the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Hold the spoon horizontally and run your finger through the custard. If the trail left by your finger stays separated, the custard is ready to be cooled.
4. Strain the custard into the bowl sitting over the prepared ice bath and stir for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the custard has cooled. Transfer the custard to a quart-size container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or, preferably, overnight.
If you have a Vitamix, puree the vanilla bean pod directly with the dairy mixture after it has steeped; process until the pod has been completely incorporated. It will make your ice cream even more flavorful.
5. Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place the container in which you refrigerated the custard in the freezer so you can use it to store the finished ice cream. Churn the ice cream until the texture resembles “soft serve.” Transfer the ice cream to the chilled storage container and freeze until hardened to your desired consistency. Alternatively, you can serve it immediately—it will be the consistency of gelato. The ice cream will keep, frozen, for up to 7 days.
ben’s note Don’t toss that vanilla bean. Rinse it, dry it, and then throw it in your sugar jar. Within a day, you’ll have the most fragrant vanilla sugar, which will enhance everything. Vanilla beans are expensive, so use them to their utmost potential!
A FUN WAY TO HIGHLIGHT VANILLA ICE CREAM:
PEACH MELBA WITH RIESLING POACHED PEACHES AND RASPBERRY COULIS
Peach Melba is a classic dessert, invented in the early 1890s at the Savoy hotel in London to honor Dame Nellie Melba, famous Australian soprano. Its typical presentation includes vanilla ice cream, peaches, and raspberry sauce. In some instances, we’ve seen it served alongside wafers or cookies, but those elements weren’t part of the original dessert.
SERVES 4
2 medium peaches
⅔ cup dry Riesling
¼ cup (50 grams) sugar
½ plump vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
1 pint fresh raspberries
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and set aside. Make an “x” incision on top of each peach. Blanch the peaches in the boiling water for 30 seconds, then use a slotted spoon to immediately transfer them to the prepared ice bath and let cool. When cool, use a paring knife to peel and quarter the peaches. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the Riesling, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds and pod and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is simmering. Add the quartered peaches, reduce the heat to low, cover, and poach until the peaches are softer, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peaches to a plate. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the wine-sugar syrup to a lively simmer. Cook until the syrup has reduced by about half, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
3. In a blender, combine the raspberries with the reduced syrup and blend until smooth. Strain the coulis through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing on the solids; set aside.
4. Scoop the vanilla ice cream into chilled bowls and top with the poached peaches and raspberry coulis.