CRÈME FRAÎCHE ICE CREAM

This luscious ice cream pairs well with many flavors, since the natural tanginess of crème fraîche offers a perfect neutral background for fruit. We make this in the late spring and early summer because it is such a perfect pairing for the strawberries, cherries, and other fruits that come in around that time. We have one guest, James, who stocks up on quarts of it when we approach the end of our run! We prefer to make our own crème fraîche. It takes just a minute to mix the ingredients, then a day later they’re cultured—and taste so good! This recipe makes a little more than you need to make the ice cream; use any leftovers slathered onto scones or even swirled into puréed soups. You could, of course, use store-bought crème fraîche if you don’t have time to make it yourself.

AT A GLANCE

MAKES: 1 quart

TECHNIQUE: Ice cream

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Ice cream machine

WAITING AND CHILLING TIME: 24 to 48 hours for the crème fraîche, 2 hours or overnight for the ice cream base

SHELF LIFE: 1 week

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CRÈME FRAÎCHE

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk

FOR THE ICE CREAM

• 4 large egg yolks
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup 1% or 2% milk ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup crème fraîche
• 2 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

MAKE THE CRÈME FRAÎCHE

1. In a small bowl, mix the cream and buttermilk. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours, or until the consistency of sour cream. Then refrigerate until needed; the crème fraîche will become even thicker as it cools down.

MAKE THE BASE

1.  In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks just to break them up, then whisk in half of the sugar (6 tablespoons). Set aside.
2. In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, combine the cream, milk, salt, and the remaining sugar (6 tablespoons) and put the pan over medium high heat. When the mixture approaches a bare simmer, reduce the heat to medium.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 from the ice-water bath, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the base for at least 2 hours or overnight. (In this recipe, it’s particularly important that the base is cold before proceeding to the next step, because otherwise the crème fraîche will cause the mixture to “break” and lose its emulsion.)

FREEZE THE ICE CREAM

1. Add the crème fraîche and lemon juice to the cold base and whisk to blend.
2. 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 …

• Blood Orange Sorbet, one of Anne’s favorite combinations
• Balsamic Strawberry Ice Cream and Sliced Strawberry Topping
• Chocolate Ice Cream
• Lemon Gingersnaps

TIP:

• The warmer your kitchen, the faster the crème fraîche will thicken. If you aren’t sure how long it will take, or if it’s your first time making it, allot the full 48 hours just in case. If it takes less time than that to thicken, you can store it in the fridge for a few days until you’re ready to use it.