Cardamom and Saffron Parfait

This recipe comes courtesy of Leicester O’Loughlin at the Blue Tongue restaurant in Melbourne’s suburban Ellwood.

300ml milk
6 green cardamom pods
pinch saffron strands
125g castor sugar
3 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
500ml whipped cream

Boil the milk, cardamom and saffron to a reduction, then strain. (Watch the pot and as soon as the milk comes to a boil, turn down the heat as low as possible.)

Whisk the whole egg and yolks together with the sugar until thick then pour into the milk mixture. Cook gently over a low heat until the mixture will coat the back of a spoon. Refrigerate this custard until chilled.

Whip the cream till it forms soft peaks (don’t over-beat) then fold in the custard. Place in an ice cream machine and churn until thick. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, place the mix in an ice cream container and place in the freezer. When it starts to freeze, whisk it with a fork or blend quickly in a food processor, then re-freeze. Serve with poached fruits. Makes about one litre.

Note: Leicester says he does not cook the egg and milk mixtures together but just chills them before adding them to the whipped cream. But the above method works well if you are reluctant to eat uncooked eggs. Either way, make sure everything is cold before combining with the whipped cream.