Warmer temperatures this week are letting us know that spring is truly here. Seedlings are poking up and soon we will be picking our first salad of the season. The chervil is thriving and I was looking for another way to use it this past weekend. I have enjoyed the licoricey flavor of anise hyssop ice cream for years, would the delicate flavor of chervil translate into an ice cream? Normally to infuse the flavor of an herb, whether it be anise hyssop, lavender or cinnamon basil, the milk and cream are heated and the herb is steeped off heat for about 30 minutes. The infusion is then strained and then you continue with the next step in the recipe. Chervil is very delicate and loses flavor when heated.
I turned to a method used in the Herbfarm Cookbook. In this recipe, chef Jerry Traunfeld uses a different approach with another delicate herb that loses flavor when heated, lemon verbena. The herb was ground with sugar and stirred into a cooled milk that had been steeped with ginger. I decided not use the ginger since I was concerned about another flavor dominating the chervil. I warmed the cream and milk to a simmer and let it cool to room temperature. Then I added the chervil sugar and let it steep for about a half hour. The mixture is chilled before a whirl in the ice cream maker. The results, very smooth and creamy with tiny, bright green flecks. The addition of sour cream to an ice cream recipe gives it a luscious mouth feel and unexpected tang. If I made it again I would possibly enhance the flavor with a teaspoon of Pernod, that ‘s not cheating, is it? Enjoy this ice cream the same day it is made for maximum flavor.
Chervil Ice Cream
Makes a generous quart
Ingredients
- 2c heavy cream
- 1c whole milk
- 1c gently packed chervil leaves
- 1c plus 2T sugar
- 1c full or low fat sour cream or creme fraiche
- 1t freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/8t kosher salt
Directions
- Bring the cream and milk to a simmer over medium heat (bubbles will form around the edges of the pan). Take pan off heat and allow to come to room temperature.
- Chop the chervil leaves in the food processor until the leaves are finely ground, about 1 minute. Stir the chervil sugar into the room temperature milk. Allow to steep for 30 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve. Refrigerate until chilled.
- Whisk the sour cream or creme fraiche in a medium mixing bowl to smooth it out. Gradually whisk in the chervil mixture, then mix in the lemon juice and salt.
- Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Allow ice cream to further harden in the freezer for an hour or so before serving.
