It seems safe to classify this summer as hot, hot, hot … and really dry. What better way to keep cool than with some homemade ice cream goodness?
I pretty much have mastered good ole vanilla and last year even started going a little “out of the box” with a Lemon Mint Ricotta Gelato. This year, I wanted to continue the trend of not-so-ordinary homemade ice cream flavors.
As always, I was intrigued with all the sweet and savory combinations out there. I had been holding on to links from months ago from Saveur – one for olive oil gelato and another for basil gelato. I had also made a few random notes on a few other flavor combinations I’d seen while surfing the Internet.
These digital inspirations all led me to this year’s first pick: Olive Oil Rosemary.
If you have never made homemade ice cream I do recommend it. I know it’s a piece of specialty kitchen equipment that doesn’t get heavy use, but for those few times a year I pull it off the shelf it certainly seems worth it.
Before I move on to the fun part, I want to stress the importance of using local, fresh and quality ingredients.
This recipe does not heat the eggs. I suppose it would only be appropriate to now display the restaurant menu warning: “Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.” Please, don’t panic. I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing where your ingredients come from, especially in cases like this. Let’s just say I wouldn’t do this with typical store bought eggs.
And, while the olive oil isn’t exactly local, it needs to be the best quality you can buy. The fruity, olive flavor notes of this ice cream just will not happen if you don’t use a quality extra virgin olive oil.
Okay, enough. Let’s get to making some delicious ice cream!
Olive Oil Rosemary Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary (about 6 inches long)
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
- In a medium saucepan add the milk and rosemary sprig.
- Heat very slowly to a gently simmer.
- When it reaches a simmer, cover and remove from heat.
- Let it steep for 1 hour. Then, strain and put it in the refrigerator to chill for a few hours or overnight.
- Beat the sugar and egg yolks in a large bowl until pale yellow, about 5 minutes.
- Slowly stream in the olive oil and continue beating until smooth and airy, approx. 3 minutes.
- Add the infused milk, cream, vanilla and salt.
- Beat until combined.
- Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Have you been making homemade ice cream? Tried making any noteworthy unique flavors?