Bastani/Persian Saffron Ice Cream
- Frozen Cream
- 1/2 pint heavy cream
- the zest from a medium lemon
- Saffron and Rose Water Custard
- 7 egg yolks
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 and 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon ground saffron
- 1/4 cup rose water
- 1 pinch salt
- 5 tablespoons whole milk ricotta
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 cup dry roasted and salted pistachios nutmeats (for sprinkling on at the end)
- On a sheet tray lined with parchment, spread the heavy cream around until it's a thin layer (wafer thin). Evenly sprinkle the top with the lemon zest. Place the sheet pan, flat, inside the freezer for about 2 hours, or until frozen through.
- In a large saucepan, add milk, heavy cream, and salt, and bring up to medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
- While the saffron leaves are steeping, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together in a medium-sized bowl with an electric mixer until it's creamy and pale (almost like ice cream).
- Whisk in the 1/4 cup of rosewater to the egg and sugar mixture
- Very slowly ladle the hot milk/cream mixture into the egg and sugar mixture and whisk it together. Be sure to do this step gradually, as to not curdle the eggs.
- After bringing the eggs up to temperature (by adding roughly 4 ladles of the hot cream mixture to the eggs), add the contents of the bowl back into the saucepan with the remaining cream.
- Continue stirring the cream until it gets foamy on the top and coats the back of the wooden spoon.
- Remove from the heat and pour through a strainer into a large bowl, and refrigerate until completely chilled through.
- Remove from the fridge, add in the whole milk ricotta, and the tsp of lemon zest and whisk it together.
- Chill the bowl of your ice cream maker in the freezer (as long as it is required), and then fill with the cream mixture and watch it whip into a beautiful soft custard (following the instructions for your specific maker). Remove it from the machine (after about 20 minutes) and transfer it to a large bowl.
- Remove the sheet of frozen cream from the freezer, and break it into tiny chocolate-chip-cookie-sized chunks. Mix the chunks into the frozen cream, and transfer the mixture to a large enough air-tight container.
- Freeze for at least 3 hours, and when ready to serve, scoop and sprinkle with pistachios.
- Finish with an extra zesting of lemon! And serve :)
frozen cream, heavy cream, lemon, saffron, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, milk, heavy cream, ground saffron, water, salt, milk ricotta, lemon zest, pistachios
Taken from food52.com/recipes/37647-bastani-persian-saffron-ice-cream (may not work)