Buttermilk Thyme Ice Cream

timo/thyme

* Please let me preface this by apologizing for the messed up formatting! Your eyes are not playing tricks on you. Blogger has not been my friend in recent weeks and trying to be techy (which is soooo not me) has eaten up too much of my time.

Thyme…There are days we all had more. Whether you’re thinking “time” or “thyme”, either one is correct. I always want more of both. Since I cannot control the sun and the moon (bummer, I know!), I will more onto the herb.

There are a ton of varieties of thyme, including French (common) thyme, lemon, orange, and silver. While it is perfectly fine to have dried on standby in your pantry, try to pick up come fresh thyme whenever possible. This shouldn't be too much of an issue (here in the states) because the grocers tend to carry it year 'round.

Then grabbing a bunch, use common sense. Packs with dark, yellowing leaves, or clumps that look like they should be sold discretely by the corner alley by a guy in a black hoodie should be avoided. Go for the fresh looking leaves, the ones with the lively, green/gray color.

Once at home, keep thyme in the refrigerator. I wrap in a (slightly) damp paper towel, in a zip lock bag. Dried thyme? Dried thyme goes in an airtight glass container in a cool, dark, dry place.

Most often, I will add thyme to fish. Yum! But, I have also been known to toss it in some pasta, eggs ensembles, kidney or black beans, and now….ice cream.

I am not really an ice cream fan. This reality probably has to do with my lactose intolerance-ness, so the repercussions of any indulgence will far out way any joy. That being said, there are times I like to dibble dabble and be a bit rebellious.

Hence…. Buttermilk Thyme Ice Cream. How could I resist? Buttermilk? Creamy deliciousness. Thyme? Woody earthiness? Combined? Happy happy joy joy!

Buttermilk Thyme Ice Cream
Adapted from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course

2 cups heavy cream
1 ¼ cup sugar
12 large egg yolks
½ cup thyme leaves
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Pinch of salt

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the heavy cream, vanilla and 1 cup of sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the thyme leaves, and stir until they’re immersed in the liquid. Cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour. Strain the thyme -infused mixture through a mesh strainer into a medium saucepan. Press on the thyme leaves to extract as much of the flavor as possible, then discard the thyme leaves. Place the saucepan over low heat to re-warm.

In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and remaining ¼ cup of sugar.

Remove the cream mixture from the heat and drizzle a small amount into the yolks, slowly, and whisking constantly to keep the eggs from curdling. Do this a few more times to warm up the yolks before pouring the yolk mixture back into the cream, whisking constantly.

Cook over low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the mixture and whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, and salt. Then, (1) cool completely and freeze completely. Or, (2) cool and add to your ice cream maker and proceed according to the instructions (which is what I did here).

Now, of course most of my fish recipes on here are with rosemary…but (minus the terrible photography) you may enjoy there! ;)

Mele Cotte: WHB - Sun Dried Tomato Thyme Muffins

Mele Cotte: Lemon, Pepper, & Thyme Chicken (Pt. 2): The Dinner Salad

I am thinking this ice cream will fair well in this week's WHB, hosted by Prof. Kitty....yes? The rules are simple, so you all need to participate as well. What do you say?

Before I go, let me just say....Let's go ATL! The 1st Annual Food Bloggers Bake Sale, in coordination with Share Our Strength, is a nationwide event happening across the country on Saturday, April 17th. For those who can't bake or volunteer - but want to contribute - monetary, tax deductible donations can be made! Check out the website for more details.