Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream with Basil and Vanilla
·Prepare the ice cream maker bowl
For perfectly creamy ice cream, place the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker in the freezer at least 24 hours in advance.
Make the cornstarch slurry
In a small bowl, whisk the milk and cornstarch together until smooth. Set this mixture aside for later.
Prepare the vanilla base
Pour the remaining milk, whipping cream, sugar, salt, and the seeds scraped from the vanilla pod into a saucepan (add the pod too). Heat gently, whisking constantly.
Thicken the mixture
Once the mixture is hot but not boiling, stir in the cornstarch slurry. Bring to a gentle simmer while stirring constantly, and cook for 1 minute until it thickens slightly.
Infuse and chill
Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture infuse with the vanilla pod still in it at room temperature. Once slightly cooled, cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface (to prevent a skin from forming) and chill completely in the fridge.
Roast the strawberries
Arrange the cleaned, whole strawberries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with sugar and vanilla sugar, and drizzle with good-quality balsamic vinegar. Toss gently to combine.
Bake in the oven
Roast the strawberries in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 30 minutes. They should caramelise nicely, release their juices, and take on a jammy consistency.
Cool and blend
Let the roasted strawberries cool completely. Then blend them along with their juices briefly using a hand blender or a small food processor.
Lime-basil purée
Tear fresh basil leaves into a blender. Add cane sugar, freshly squeezed lime juice, and olive oil. Blend everything until as smooth as possible.
Churn the vanilla ice cream
Remove the vanilla pod and pour the chilled vanilla base into the prepared ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.
Layer everything together
Start with a layer of vanilla ice cream, then a spoonful of basil purée, followed by a layer of roasted strawberries. Repeat this sequence until all the ingredients are used up, finishing with a top layer of vanilla ice cream.
Swirl and freeze
Using a thin knife or skewer, carefully drag it through the layers in a zigzag motion so the flavours blend slightly and create a marbled effect. Seal the container and freeze for several hours until fully set.