Black Pepper Ice Cream

Courtesy of Carol Hart

This unusual ice cream works because the pepper cuts through the richness of the cream, and it's sharpness and slight heat give it a lot of sophistication.
Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients:

3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/4 cups sugar
12 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
pinch of salt

Preparation:

In heavy saucepan, combine the milk, cream and 1 cup of the sugar and bring to a simmer (do not boil).

Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.

Remove the milk mixture from the heat and add a little to the egg yolk mixture to warm it, whisking constantly to keep
the yolks from curdling. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the hot milk mixture, whishing the milk constantly as you pour.

Return the custard to the stove and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens enough
to coat the back of the spoon, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and strain into a bowl. Stir in the crushed peppercorns and the salt. Chill the custard until it’s thoroughly
cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Strain again and freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Pepper-Passion Recipes