Olive Oil Ice Cream with Meyer Lemon Zest

Directions

In a heavy saucepan, combine the milk, cream and lemon zest. Warm over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture barely comes to a simmer, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar and salt. Whisk vigorously until the mixture lightens in color and doubles in volume, about 2 minutes.

Remove the milk mixture from the heat. Whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) of the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the resulting egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking constantly, and place over medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture forms a custard thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let it boil.

Meanwhile, set up an ice bath in a large bowl and nest a smaller heatproof bowl inside. Pour the warm custard through a fine-mesh sieve into the smaller bowl; stir occasionally until cool. Remove the bowl from the ice bath, stir in the olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.

Pour the cold custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Spoon the ice cream into a freezer-safe container and place parchment or waxed paper directly on the surface. Cover tightly and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. When ready to serve, scoop into bowls and drizzle each serving with olive oil. Makes about 1 quart (1 l).

Adapted from The Ice Creamery Cookbook: Recipes for Frozen Treats, Toppings, Mix-Ins & More, by Shelly Kaldunski