This was a post that appeared a while back in another spring, when the rhubarb was plentiful. It’s on of my favorite desserts. Hope you’ll try, know you’ll like.
Just happened to be in Whole Foods last weekend on a search for char siu sauce, but that’s another story for another day. I walked the produce section and noticed some super red stalks of rhubarb. Rhubarb is one of my favorite things, but I never expected to see such nice specimens this late in the season.
I walked out without the char siu – can’t believe they didn’t have any – but with more rhubarb than I ever needed. I’m weird that way. If three stalks are good, six are better. And I knew exactly what I’d be doing with this score.
Somehow I’d forgotten that I had intended to make this ice cream when the season rolled around. No excuses this time. How can I even describe this except to say that it’s unbelievable. Just a bit tart with a perfect balance of sweet. And how can you go wrong with heavy cream and half and half? Check out the color – just beautiful. I always make the ice cream mix the night before and allow it to chill thoroughly. I think it makes a big difference.
I also think the promise of this ice cream is enough to send you out in search of the main ingredient.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Ice Cream
Makes about 1 ½ quarts
For the rhubarb sauce:
4 cups sliced strawberries
1 ½ – 2 cup sliced rhubarb
½ cup sugar
Juice of half a lemon
1 piece peeled ginger, about 1/2″
½ teaspoon almond extract
¼ cup water
For the ice cream:
1 ¼ cup finely diced strawberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 cup strawberry rhubarb sauce
2 large eggs
½ cup superfine sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half & half
For the sauce: Add all ingredients to a saucepan, bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and let the mixture simmer for about 30 minutes, until it has thickened. Allow mixture to cool, then place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
For the ice cream: Add the diced strawberries to a small bowl. Toss berries with the 2 tablespoons sugar and the lime juice. Set aside in the refrigerator to chill while you make the ice cream. Puree the 1 cup of sauce, and you should end up with roughly 1 1/4 cup. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs for 2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, until it’s dissolved. Next, whisk in the cream and the half & half, then add the pureed sauce. Mix well. Taste to make sure that the mixture is sweet enough. If necessary, add a little more sugar, making sure it’s dissolved. At this point, I like to cover the mixture and chill overnight. That’s not necessary, but you should at least make sure that the mix is fairly cold before adding to the ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturers instructions, about 25 minutes. In the last few minutes of freezing time, stir the diced strawberries, drain them, and add them to the ice cream. When the freezing process is complete, transfer ice cream to a container with a lid. Place ice cream in freezer to cure and harden.
Top ice cream with reserved sauce if you like. You will like.
