J – Sometimes plating is everything.
We do everything we can to create a delicious dish, and then it lands on the plate and we, literally, don’t want to eat it. Such is the case with this one. No worries. This is an awesome, exotic ice cream. We just tried to plate it, at first, looking like a brain.
Bad idea.
I love ice cream. Even more, I love ice cream made from unique ingredients.
So, when Scriv at Azolla Farm offered us some bronze fennel fronds, I immediately thought of making bronze fennel frond ice cream.
Kind of an extension of the fresh fennel seed ice cream we did a year or so ago. But, completely different.
The trick here is that bronze fennel fronds are delicate. It’s just the fronds, no bulb. Taste is a bit like fennel + dill.
| CSA Box Week #2 2016: Bronze Fennel Frond Ice Cream |
- 1½ cups milk
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 bunches Bronze Fennel Fronds, about ½ pound, plus 2 tablespoon of the fronds, chopped
- 4 egg yolks
- In a medium sauce pan, place milk, heavy cream, sugar, salt and 2 bunches fennel fronds. Brings to a light simmer. Turn off heat once there are small bubbles forming on the sides of the pan. Let the mixture steep for 1 hour.
- After an hour, reheat the mixture and bring it to a light simmer again. Turn off heat once there are small bubbles forming on the sides of the pan. Remove the fennel fronds
- Beat the egg yolks, whisk in the cream mixture slowly, one ladle at a time.
- Once all is mixed together, transfer it back into a sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir constantly until mixture coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove from pan, strain and pour into a storage container. Add the chopped fronds.
- Chill in the refrigerator overnight.
- Churn the cream mixture according to manufacture’s instructions.
- Freeze for at least 6 hours before serving.
- Serve with more fennel fronds.
- Enjoy!
We make these ice creams by steeping the herb, or tea, in the milk/cream mix before finishing the custard base. Under or over-steeping is a big question. We decided to keep the steep time the same, but add more flavor ingredient if we want it stronger.
The result was delicious and subtle. What is really interesting is that it “ages” in the freezer. Stronger flavor over time. Go figure.