Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

1. Put the ice cream maker churning bowl in the freezer the day before you plan to churn, and tuck a separate mixing bowl in there too, as long as it’s big enough to hold the custard. Most manufacturers want the churning bowl frozen for 24 hours before you make ice cream; the mixing bowl can wait until you’re getting the custard base started.
2. Pour the cream and milk into a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod into the pan, add the pod too, and stir in a pinch of salt. Let the mixture come slowly to a gentle simmer, stirring now and then, until little bubbles show up around the edges of the pan, about 15 to 18 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let the vanilla steep in the cream for 15 minutes. If you’re using vanilla extract, stir it in now.
3. In another bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar until they look pale and thick. Set the milk mixture back over medium-low heat and warm it until it is just shy of simmering; it should feel warm, with tiny bubbles only beginning to appear around the edge.
4. Pour the warm milk mixture into the egg-sugar mixture in a slow, thin, steady stream, whisking constantly as you go. Keep whisking until everything is fully combined. Take your time here, because rushing is how you get scrambled eggs instead of custard.
5. Pour the custard, vanilla bean pod and all, back into the pan and set it over low heat. Stir gently with a spatula until it thickens to about the texture of maple syrup, about 8 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon and a line drawn through it with your finger stays put.
6. Once the custard has thickened, take it off the heat. Pull the mixing bowl from the freezer and pour the custard into it. Let it cool to room temp, then cover the bowl and move it to the fridge. This is your ice cream base, and it can be made up to 1 week ahead and kept covered in the fridge.
7. Put half of the sliced strawberries in a saucepan with half of the sugar and all of the lemon juice. Set the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally and keeping an eye on it, since the berries can foam up and boil over. After 10 minutes, lightly mash the berries with a potato masher. Keep cooking, stirring now and then, until the mixture has reduced by half, about 8 minutes. The sauce is done when the syrup is deep red and as thick as honey. Remove it from the heat, transfer it to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate.
8. Combine the remaining sliced strawberries with the remaining sugar in a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender. Puree until the mixture becomes a thin sauce. Transfer it to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate.
9. Take the vanilla pod out of the chilled custard base. Stir in the cooled strawberry sauce and the fresh strawberry puree. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It’s ready when it has the texture of soft serve ice cream.
10. You can serve the ice cream right away if you want it soft serve-style. For a firmer, scoopable texture, transfer it to a loaf pan or another freezer-safe container, press a piece of parchment paper over the surface, and cover with a lid. Freeze for at least 2 hours. When you’re ready, scoop it onto your favorite cone. This ice cream will keep for about a month before it starts to crystallize.