Mint Chip Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups packed fresh mint leaves
• 5 large egg yolks
• 5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

1. Add the mint, salt, sugar, milk, and 1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream to a medium saucepan and warm them together.
2. When the mixture is hot and giving off steam, take the pan off the heat, cover it, and let it sit for an hour so the mint can infuse.
3. Strain out the mint, then press the leaves firmly with a spatula to draw out as much color and flavor as you can. Well-washed hands work for this too, as long as the mixture has cooled enough to handle safely. Once the flavor has been squeezed out, discard the mint.
4. Add the remaining heavy cream to a large bowl, and position the strainer on the bowl.
5. Warm the mint-infused milk again. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then gradually pour in some of the warm mint mixture while whisking constantly. Scrape the warmed yolk mixture back into the saucepan.
6. Cook the custard, stirring the whole time with a heatproof spatula, until it thickens enough to coat the spatula. If you are using an instant read thermometer, look for about 170ºF (77ºC).
7. Right away, pour the mixture through the strainer into the cream, then stir it over an ice bath until cool.
8. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, preferably overnight, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. While it churns, melt the chocolate in a small bowl set over a pot of simmering water, or use a microwave oven at low power and stir until smooth. Put a storage container in the freezer.
9. Once the ice cream is ready in the machine, zigzag some melted chocolate into the chilled container, then add a layer of the just-churned ice cream. Drizzle more melted chocolate over the top and quickly stir it in, breaking the chocolate into irregular pieces. Continue with more layers of ice cream, more chocolate, and more stirring as you go. When you are done, cover and freeze until firm.