tom ka gai savory ice cream

prep time: 6 minutes, plus 2 hours to chill • yield: 8 servings

If a savory dessert sounds crazy to you, think about the tradition in some cultures to finish a meal with a salad or cheese course. I just morphed the salad/cheese course into a dessert that really and truly tastes like bowl of frozen tom ka gai soup! Also, many of my clients want to lose their sweet tooth yet still crave dessert, so I wanted to include a dessert for them.

1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed, tough outer leaves removed

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut oil, softened

¼ cup MCT oil

¼ cup chicken bone broth, homemade ( see here ) or store-bought

¼ cup full-fat coconut milk

4 large whole eggs

4 large egg yolks

½ teaspoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

Grated zest of 1 lime

Juice of 1 lime

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of liquid or powdered sweetener ( see here ) (optional)

special equipment:

Ice cream maker

1. If you have a high-speed blender, cut the bottom half of the lemongrass stalk into two or three pieces and drop them into the blender jar; if you have a regular blender, grate the bottom third or so of the lemongrass stalk into the blender jar.

2. Add the coconut oil, MCT oil, broth, coconut milk, eggs, egg yolks, fish sauce, ginger, cilantro, lime zest and juice, salt, and sweetener to the blender and puree until very smooth.

3. Pour into an ice cream maker and churn, following the manufacturer’s instructions, until set. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.

note: Making ice cream with oil and salt may seem unusual, but they play important roles: the oil gives the ice cream a smooth texture and the salt helps keep it soft.