Makes about 1 quart Extra-virgin olive oil adds a wonderful texture and sublime flavor to this ice cream. We like to use the organic olive oil produced by Etruria, who also make our favorite bergamot olive oil (used in Sam’s Sundae) and mandarin olive oil. You don’t have to use a flavored oil; this recipe can be made with any olive oil that you love.
TECHNIQUE: Ice cream
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Ice cream machine
CHILLING TIME: 2 hours or overnight
SHELF LIFE: 1 week
INGREDIENTS AND PREPARATION
- In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks just to break them up, then whisk in half of the sugar (6 tablespoons). Set aside.
- In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, stir together the cream, milk, salt, and the remaining sugar (6 tablespoons) and put the pan over medium-high heat.
- When the mixture approaches a bare simmer, reduce the heat to medium.
- Carefully scoop out about ½ cup of the hot cream mixture and, whisking the eggs constantly, add the cream to the bowl with the egg yolks.
- Repeat, adding another ½ cup of the hot cream to the bowl with the yolks.
- Using a heatproof rubber spatula, stir the cream in the saucepan as you slowly pour the egg-and-cream mixture from the bowl into the pan.
- Cook the mixture carefully over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it is thickened, coats the back of a spatula, and holds a clear path when you run your finger across the spatula, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
- Strain the base through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container.
- Set the container into an ice-water bath, wash your spatula, and use it to stir the base occasionally until it is cool.
- Remove the container from the ice-water bath, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the base for at least 2 hours or overnight.
OLIVE OIL MIXTURE
- Whisk the mandarin orange olive oil or other favorite olive oil into the chilled base until well blended.
FREEZING
- Freeze the ice cream in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- While the ice cream is churning, put the container you’ll use to store the ice cream into the freezer.
- Enjoy right away or, for a firmer ice cream, transfer to the chilled container and freeze for at least 4 hours.
