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Fig ice cream April 23, 2009 There’s always a touch of nostalgia when daylight saving ends and we say farewell to summer. But then the changing seasons bring their own treats and I count figs among these. There is nothing quite like a perfect fig. It pairs happily with prosciutto and really perks up with a little pat of goat’s cheese tucked inside. With its soft, subtle flavour, it can be served with sweet or savoury accompaniments. Figs have fragile skins, so don’t like rough handling. They are best consumed within a day or two of purchase. And what better way to serve with figs than with more figs, this time as ice cream.
Fig Ice Cream 1/2 cup milk Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl and beat well. Bring the milk to just below boiling point then stir slowly into the egg yolks. Place the bowl over a pot of boiling water and stir until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the vanilla and set aside to cool. Whip the egg whites until they reach soft peak stage then continue whipping and slowly incorporate 1/4 cup of the sugar. Lightly whip the cream. Peel the figs and slice into a food processor. Add the verjuice and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and process until smooth. Gently stir the cooled custard into the cream then lightly fold in the egg whites. Stir in the fig pulp then chill the mixture. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions or place in an ice cream tray and freeze, stirring with a fork two or three times during freezing. Serve in scoops and accompany with quartered fresh figs sprinkled with a little verjuice, and a trickle of olive oil if desired.
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