Sweet Corn Ice Cream
Roasting the corn before steeping it into a classic French custard is the restaurant trick here: it concentrates the corn's sweetness and gives a home freezer a surprisingly deep, buttery aroma. I…
Ingredients
- 4 medium ears fresh yellow corn
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- Place a 9-by-5-inch metal loaf pan in the freezer, and set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl nested in a larger bowl of ice water. Strip the kernels from 3 corn cobs with a sharp knife, working in a wide bowl to catch them; reserve the bare cobs. Cut the kernels from the fourth cob and keep them separate for the final garnish.
- Heat a large, dry stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the 3 cups of corn kernels and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until several kernels are lightly browned and the pan smells toasted. Do not add oil; the dry heat evaporates moisture and concentrates the corn. Transfer the roasted kernels to a plate, then wipe out any blackened bits from the skillet.
- Return the skillet to medium heat and add the heavy cream, milk, roasted kernels, and the 3 reserved cobs. Warm for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the dairy is steaming and tiny bubbles gather around the edge; do not let it boil. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and steep for 20 minutes so the cobs release their starchy corn aroma.
- While the dairy steeps, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, kosher salt, vanilla, and black pepper in a medium bowl for about 1 minute, until the mixture is smooth, pale, and slightly thickened. The small amount of pepper should perfume the base rather than make it hot; use less if serving the ice cream with delicate vegetables.
- Remove and discard the cobs. Pour the warm corn-and-cream mixture through the strainer into a 4-cup measuring jug, pressing firmly on the kernels with a ladle to extract their liquid. Return the strained dairy to the skillet, bring it back to steaming over medium-low heat, and reserve 1/2 cup of the roasted kernels for folding in later.
- Temper the yolks by slowly whisking about 1 cup of the hot dairy into the egg mixture, then pour that mixture back into the skillet in a thin stream while whisking constantly. Cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 9 minutes, stirring continuously with a silicone spatula and scraping the corners, until the custard reaches 170 to 175°F and coats the spatula; when you draw a finger through it, the line should remain clean. Never allow a boil, or the yolks may scramble.
- Immediately pour the custard through the prepared strainer into the ice bath. Press the custard through gently, leaving any curdled bits behind, then stir for 5 to 7 minutes until it is cold to the touch, about 45°F. Stir in the butter until fully melted and glossy; rapid chilling protects the custard's smooth texture and keeps the corn aroma bright.
- Cover the cold custard and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Before churning, taste it cold and adjust only if necessary: a pinch more salt sharpens the corn, while 1 teaspoon of sugar can correct unusually bland late-season corn. The base should taste slightly sweeter and saltier than the finished frozen ice cream because freezing dulls both sensations.
- Churn the custard in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer's directions, usually 20 to 25 minutes, until it has the texture of soft serve and holds soft ridges. If the machine struggles, the base was not cold enough; chill it another hour rather than forcing the motor.
- Fold the reserved 1/2 cup of roasted kernels into the churned ice cream with a chilled spatula, using three or four deliberate turns so the pieces remain distinct. Pack the ice cream into the frozen loaf pan, press parchment directly onto the surface, cover tightly, and freeze for 3 to 4 hours, until scoopable but firm.
- Let the ice cream stand at room temperature for 8 to 10 minutes before serving. Scoop small portions beside grilled zucchini, blistered tomatoes, or a corn-and-tomato salad, and finish with a few grinds of black pepper; the ice cream should hold its shape while yielding immediately to a spoon. For a cleaner vegetable-forward plate, serve it in chilled shallow bowls rather than tall dessert glasses.
Watch the Sweet Corn Ice Cream cooking video
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