Author Notes
I haven't been very active on Food52 of late as I've been on a rather intense journey discovering the benefits of raw milk, lacto-fermentation and ancient grains—perhaps a bit out there for this crowd? But I came up with this recipe using raw cream, eggs straight from the farm, agave nectar and fennel pollen that tastes just like spring. The beautiful pink color comes from a puree of strawberries but there are also chunks of whole berry to add texture to the creamy base. - gluttonforlife —gluttonforlife
Test Kitchen Notes
You would think that the key ingredient in this ice cream would be the fragrant fennel pollen, but it's actually the agave nectar. It makes for a featherlight custard and a sweetness that recedes to the shadows, allowing all the attention fall on the berries. The fennel does its work, too, and we liked how gluttonforlife let it infuse the ice cream without overpowering it. If you can't get fennel pollen, don't sweat it -- just add ground anise seed or fennel seed in the same proportion. - A&M —The Editors
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Ingredients
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13/4 cup
heavy raw or organic cream
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3
fat strips of lemon zest
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1/2 teaspoon
fennel pollen
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1/8 teaspoon
sea salt
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2
large free-range eggs
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2/3 cup
plus 3 tablespoons agave nectar, separated
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3 cups
ripe strawberries, trimmed and halved
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1 cup
strawberries, trimmed and cut into chunks
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juice of 1/2 lemon
Directions
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Combine cream, zest, fennel pollen and salt in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and discard zest.
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Whisk eggs with 2/3 cup agave nectar in a bowl, then add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour back into saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and an instant-read thermometer registers 170°. Do not boil!
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Immediately pour custard through a fine sieve into a metal bowl, then cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Cover and chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
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While custard is chilling, purée strawberries with lemon juice and remaining 3 tablespoons agave nectar until smooth, then force through fine sieve to remove seeds (or not, this step is optional) into chilled custard. Stir purée into custard.
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Freeze in ice-cream maker. About ¾ of the way through (time varies depending on your machine), stir in strawberry chunks. Finish freezing, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.
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