Vanilla ice cream with strawberry ripple

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the strawberry compote first so it has time to cool. Place the hulled, quartered strawberries in a small saucepan with 50 g caster sugar and the juice of the lemon. Cook gently over a low-medium heat until the berries have broken down and the mixture is saucy, 8–10 minutes. Mash lightly with a fork if you prefer a finer ripple. Take off the heat and leave to cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge.

2. 2

   Warm the milk with the split vanilla pod and scraped seeds. Put the whole milk and the vanilla pod (with seeds) into a medium saucepan and warm gently until it is steaming and just below simmering — small bubbles at the edge — about 8–10 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Whisk the egg yolks with 100 g caster sugar and a pinch of fine salt until the mixture is pale and thick. Slowly temper the warm milk into the yolks: add a ladleful of warm milk while whisking constantly, repeat until about two-thirds of the milk has been mixed in, then pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan.

4. 4

   Cook the tempered custard gently until it thickens. Return the pan to a low heat and stir constantly with a spatula until the custard thickly coats the back of a spoon, about 4–6 minutes. Do not let it boil. Once thickened, remove from the heat, strain through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove any cooked bits and the vanilla pod, then stir in the double cream.

5. 5

   Cool the custard quickly, cover and chill. Place the bowl in an ice bath to bring the temperature down faster for 5 minutes, then cover and chill in the fridge until fully cold, at least 4 hours.

6. 6

   Whisk or beat the chilled custard briefly to loosen it, then churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft‑serve consistency (typically 18–25 minutes).

7. 7

   Assemble the ripple. Spoon roughly half the churned ice cream into a loaf tin or freezer container, dollop half the chilled strawberry compote in blobs and swirl gently with a knife to create ribbons. Top with the remaining ice cream and the rest of the compote, swirl again lightly.

8. 8

   Freeze the assembled ice cream until firm, at least 4 hours, then scoop and serve.

Tips

• Make the compote a day ahead — it improves in flavour as it cools and saves time on the day.
• When tempering the yolks, add the hot milk gradually and keep whisking to avoid scrambled eggs.
• If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour the chilled custard into a shallow container, freeze, then beat vigorously every 30 minutes for 2–3 hours to break up ice crystals.
• For extra smoothness, strain the custard before chilling to remove any cooked bits and the vanilla pod fibre.
• Store the ice cream in an airtight container with a sheet of baking paper pressed on the surface to prevent ice crystals.

Substitutions

• double cream → mascarpone, same weight (400 g) — richer, silkier texture

  Stays close

• vanilla pod → 1 tsp vanilla extract

  Stays close

• strawberries → frozen strawberries, thawed and drained, same weight (400 g)

  Stays close

• caster sugar → 120 g caster sugar + 30 g honey (use honey in compote)

  Noticeably different

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

498

Calories

6 g

Protein

33 g

Carbs

38 g

Fat

2 g

Fibre

32 g

Sugar

80 mg

Sodium

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