Dorie Greenspan’s Olive Oil Ice Cream

Every two months I host a cookbook club meeting. A cookbook is chosen (usually at the prior meeting) and friends and family all choose a dish to make from it. Then we all get together to talk about the dish we chose, eat the hell out of all the food, and drink an ungodly amount of beer. While flipping through our next cookbook, Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table, trying to pick my dish from the hundreds of incredible recipes, this recipe for olive oil ice cream caught my eye. A basic custard base, but some of the heavy cream is swapped out for olive oil. One of Dorie’s suggestions is topping it off with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of Maldon salt flakes. The end result is a sweet and incredibly nuanced ice cream. My five year-old son declared it the best ice cream yet (he has rich five year-old tastes).

Olive Oil Ice Cream

From Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table

Note: This ice cream is only as good as the olive oil you use. Dorie specifies a fruity oil, with no peppery finish. Based on reviews from America’s Test Kitchen, this would be a great choice. I had Columela, a floral, fruity oil with a definite peppery kick at the end, so I cut it with a couple of tablespoons of the bland, one-note extra-virigin olive oil I buy by the gallon for cooking. It worked perfectly, keeping the fruity notes and taming the peppery bite.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5  large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Method

1. Set up an ice-bath: Fill a large bowl 1/4 of the way up with ice water. Place a medium-sized bowl over the ice water. Place a mesh strainer on top.
2. In a medium saucepan, dissolve the sugar and salt in the milk and cream over medium heat. Slowly drizzle the warmed mixture into the egg yolks, whisking without stopping, until smooth. Return to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
3. Pour the custard through the strainer, discarding the solids left behind. Add the olive oil, and whisk well for 2 minutes, until it is well blended. Cover the mixture and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Churn according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Store in a shallow container, covered with plastic wrap and and air-tight lid. Keeps up to 2 months frozen.

Find all of our ice cream recipes in Endless Ice Cream