Corn, like pecans, rice, buttermilk, and bourbon, seems to find its way into virtually every facet of Southern cooking, and this honeyed ice cream, which is the pride of a faculty wife in the university town of Athens, Georgia, has to be one of the most amazing examples in the dessert category. Do be careful to temper the egg yolks very slowly with the hot honey to prevent curdling. It’s a good idea also to allow this ice cream to mellow about an hour before serving or storing in the freezer.
Makes 1 quart
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 cups fresh or defrosted frozen corn kernels
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1⁄3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Place the corn in a saucepan with enough water to cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderate, cover, cook 3 to 4 minutes, and drain well. In a blender or food processor, combine the corn and half-and-half, reduce to a fine puree, and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine the honey and water, bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and let cool slightly. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer till thick and creamy, then, while beating constantly, very slowly add the honey. Still beating, add the lemon juice, heavy cream, corn mixture, vanilla, and nutmeg and beat till thoroughly blended and smooth.
- Scrape the mixture into the container of an electric ice cream freezer and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.
