We think of this flavor as old-fashioned—in the best way possible. It evokes an earlier time, when butter was churned at home by hand. Buttermilk’s tart-rich flavor enhances any kind of fruit.
AT A GLANCE
MAKES: 1 quart
TECHNIQUE: Ice cream
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Ice cream machine 2 hours or overnight
SHELF LIFE: 1 week
INGREDIENTS:
- 5 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1½ cups heavy cream ½ cup 1% or 2% milk 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS:
MAKE THE BASE
- In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks just to break them up, then whisk in half of the sugar (6 tablespoons). Set aside.
- In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, stir together the cream, milk, 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. (The base must be completely cold, otherwise the buttermilk will cause the mixture to “break” and lose its emulsion.)
FREEZE THE ICE CREAM
- Add the buttermilk and vanilla to the cold base and whisk to blend.
- 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 …
• A slice of fruit pie or galette or a simple fruit compote.
