Strawberry-Crème Fraîche Ice Cream

Combine the cream, milk, 1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g) of the sugar and the salt in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the saucepan and add the pod. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Whisk in 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) of the warm cream mixture. Pour the yolk mixture into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl and set in an ice bath. Stir often until cool, about 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, about 3 hours.

In a food processor, purée about two-thirds of the strawberries, the remaining 1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g) sugar and the lemon juice. Stir the purée and crème fraîche into the cream mixture. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Just before the ice cream is done, add the remaining strawberries. Finish churning the ice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours, before serving. Makes about 1 quart (1 l).

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Dessert of the Day, by Kim Laidlaw (Weldon Owen, 2013).