Bay blossom ice-cream

I have what I think must be a century-old bay tree, which grows near my cottage. It’s the biggest bay tree I’ve ever seen – and for a few short weeks in spring, it is covered in a profusion of blossoms. I wanted to capture the taste of spring – and so this recipe was born.

• makes

  1 litre

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 180 g honey
• 1 handful bay blossoms
• 250 ml cream
• 500 g ricotta
• 5 egg yolks

Cooling time: 30 minutes

Instructions

1. Infuse the bay blossoms into the cream by combining them in a small saucepan and gently bringing it to just under a boil, then turning it off, covering, and leaving to cool.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the honey and the egg yolks by hand till light and fluffy, then strain the cream through a sieve onto the yolk mixture and discard the bay blossoms (hopefully into the compost).
3. Whisk gently to combine then place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and cook to 84°C. Chill the mix down over ice or in the fridge then, when it is cold, blend in the ricotta using a stick blender.
4. Churn in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions and serve.

 

Analiese Gregory explores life at the bottom of the world in A Girl's Guide to Hunting, Fishing and Wild Cooking.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.