Mint Ice Cream

This is a subtle, clean-tasting ice cream. We make ice cream every day at Petersham – largely because l like to finish a meal in the lightest way possible.

Preparation time :	15–20 minutes, plus churning and freezing
Cooking time :	20 minutes
Total time :	35-40 minutes, plus churning and freezing

Ingredients

500ml Double cream
150ml Whole milk
1 Vanilla pod, halved lengthways, seeds scraped and reserved
375g Caster sugar
80g Mint, leaves removed and stalks reserved
6 Egg yolks

Method

1. Place the cream and milk in a heavy-based pan and add the vanilla pod and seeds; bring to just under the boil. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes before removing the pod.
2. Place 200g caster sugar and 500ml cold water in a medium-sized, heavy-based pan on a medium heat. Bruise the mint stalks and add to the liquid. Boil for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Discard the stalks. Bring another saucepan of water to the boil and plunge in the leaves. Drain, refresh under cold running water and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the yolks and remaining 175g sugar together until pale. Whisk in the milk mixture and return the custard to the saucepan over the lowest possible heat; stir gently until it coats the back of a spoon, but do not allow to boil. Remove the custard from the heat and pour into a mixing bowl, then leave to cool.
4. Place the cooled syrup and the blanched leaves in a blender and purée until you have a vibrant green syrup. Stir the mint syrup through the custard base and pour into an ice-cream maker to churn. Alternatively, place in a freezer container, freeze and whisk every two hours to break up the ice crystals.