Journal

Fig Leaf Ice cream

Figs are my favourite fruit - that heady aroma my favourite summer smell.

I even have a fig tree outside my bedroom. It produces masses of leaves but very few figs.

When I saw mention of a fig leaf ice cream being served at my favourite restaurant I had to investigate and see if I could try it myself.

The result was so much better than I even imagined - it is just the perfect flavour for ice cream - that warmth and fullness comes through in a sweet, creamy, honeyed taste.

Ingredients

6 medium fig leaves - young leaves are best.

500 ml double cream

250 ml full milk

5 egg yolks

75g sugar

1 tbsp honey.

Method

Part 1

In a dry frying pan heat up the fig leaves in batches until they dry out and have a wonderful fragrance.

Mix 400 ml cream and all the milk in a pan with the sugar and gently heat until the sugar dissolves.

Turn off the heat, add the fig leaves and put the lid on. Leave to infuse overnight.

Take the leaves out of the cream/milk and squeeze gently to make sure all the flavour ends up in the cream.

Part 2

Make a simple custard.

Before you begin put 2 inches of very cold water in your kitchen sink and put a large bowl into it with the 100ml cream in the base. Find a sieve and have it to hand.

Whisk the egg yolks in another bowl.

Gently heat the cream mix, pour a bit at a time into the egg yolks whisking all the time. Then when all the warm cream is in the bowl tip it back into the pan and heat very very gently, stirring with your whisk all the time, until it begins to thicken. You want it to coat the back of a cool spoon when you dip it in.

Immediately strain the custard through the sieve into the bowl in the sink.

Stir in honey and chill

Make the ice-cream according to the instructions on your ice cream maker.

If you would like a printable PDF version of the recipe, get free access to the Recipe library here

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