Homemade Strawberry Custard Ice Cream

Method

1. Prep pale and slightly thick

   Whisk the yolks with ½ cup of the sugar until pale and smooth.

2. Heat simmering at the edges

   Heat the cream, milk and another ½ cup sugar over medium, stirring occasionally, until it just starts to simmer at the edges. Take it off the heat.

3. Prep tempered

   Drizzle 1 cup of the hot dairy slowly into the yolks, whisking constantly.

4. Simmer coats the back of a spoon, about 170F

   Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan over low heat and stir constantly, scraping the bottom, until it coats a spoon. Do not let it boil.

5. Prep smooth

   Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean glass bowl and stir in the vanilla.

6. Prep 15 min · no piece bigger than a pea

   Mash the strawberries fine - nothing bigger than a small pea - mix them with the last ¼ cup sugar and let them sit 15 minutes. Stir the berries and their juice into the warm custard.

   15m
7. Chill 4-6 h · below 40F

   Cover and refrigerate until the base is properly cold. If your fridge runs warmer than about 43F, pour the base into the aluminium canister, lock the lid and freeze the canister for 5-7 minutes right before churning.

   360m
8. Finish 25-35 min · risen to the top of the lid

   Put the dasher in the cold canister with the custard, lock the lid and set it in the centre socket. Pack 3 inches of crushed ice around it, sprinkle about ½ cup of salt over, and repeat to the top. Mount the motor and start it. Every 5-10 minutes add more ice and salt, and keep the side drain hole clear. Unplug the moment the motor groans or the canister slows to a crawl.

   35m
9. Chill 2-4 h · firm

   Lift off the motor and wipe all the salt and brine off the lid and rim before opening. Pull the dasher straight up, scrape the soft-serve back in, then pack it into a shallow airtight container, press plastic wrap onto the surface and freeze 2-4 hours in the coldest part of the freezer.

   240m