Makes about 1 quart This recipe was inspired by the recipe for peach leaf parfait in the Chez Panisse Fruit cookbook. When you steep peach leaves in milk and cream, they impart a wonderful bitter almond flavor that is truly special. If you are lucky enough to have a peach tree in your backyard (or access to one), it’s best to pick young, tender leaves. You may also be able to find peach leaves by asking for them at your local farmers’ market.
TECHNIQUE: Ice cream
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Ice cream machine
CHILLING TIME: 2 hours or overnight
SHELF LIFE: 1 week
INGREDIENTS
- 1¾ cups heavy cream
- ¾ cup 1% or 2% milk
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 to 12 fresh peach leaves (unsprayed or organic), rinsed and patted dry
- 5 large egg yolks
INSTRUCTIONS
INFUSE THE MILK/CREAM
- In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, stir together the cream, milk, half of the sugar (¼ cup), and the salt.
- Put the pan over medium-high heat. Crush the leaves gently in your hands to release their flavor and add them to the pan. When the mixture just begins to bubble around the edges, remove from the heat and cover the pan. Let steep for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a mellow bitter almond flavor has infused into the cream mixture. (Taste it to monitor the progress; the mixture will become bitter if oversteeped.)
- In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks just to break them up, then whisk in the remaining sugar (¼ cup). Set aside.
- Uncover the cream mixture 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.
- Freeze 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.
SERVE IT WITH…
- Peach compote or fresh berries
