I was looking for an ice cream flavor to compliment peach pie for the dessert course of a recent dinner party I catered. Cardamom came to mind as something exotic and elegant- the perfect thing to elevate a humble peach pie. Once I had decided on the ice cream flavor I added a subtle note of cardamom to the pie filling to bring the whole dish together, and let’s just say I went out on a high note!
Homemade ice cream can sometimes prove to be a tricky endeavor, but as long as you invest the proper care and attention, the reward is always well worth the effort. In other words, don’t try to manage eight other things at the same time, as I will admit to doing in the past- this avid multi-tasker has had to learn the hard way that some things deserve your full attention. So, after a period of trial and error, my best ice cream advice is this: keep a close eye on your custard mixture as you bring the eggs up to a safe temperature. Never let the custard come to a boil, and stir often until the mixture reaches 160 degrees. Then use a mesh sieve to strain out any solid bits for the creamiest, most decadent texture imaginable.
makes about 1 quart
Ingredients
2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
8 whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 cup sugar
5 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
Instructions
1. Add milk, cream, vanilla bean and crushed cardamom pods to a heavy saucepan and heat gently until mixture just comes to a boil. Remove from heat, and let infuse for 20 minutes. Remove vanilla bean and scrape seeds back into the liquid. Remove the crushed green cardamom pods.
2. Meanwhile beat the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture reaches a thick, pale yellow consistency.
3. Gently reheat the milk or cream and whisk a small amount into the egg yolks. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the cream, whisking constantly over low heat. Stir until the custard reaches 160 degrees on a thermometer; it will take several minutes. Do not let it boil, or the eggs will begin to scramble.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and pour through a mesh strainer into a bowl set over an ice bath. Stir in ground cardamom and allow mixture to chill before freezing in an ice cream maker.
