FIVE-SPICE ICE CREAM

Five-Spice Ice Cream image

Provided by Monica Segovia-Welsh

Yield Makes about 1 1/2 quarts

Number Of Ingredients 16

3 (2-inch) pieces dried tangerine peel
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon pink peppercorns
1 whole star anise
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar, divided
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 whole large egg
8 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon dark rum
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
an electric coffee/spice grinder
an ice cream maker

Steps:

Tear tangerine peel into pieces. Pulse peppercorns, star anise, cloves, and allspice to a coarse mixture in grinder.
Combine cream, milk, tangerine peel, spices, and 1/2 cup sugar in a heavy medium saucepan. With tip of a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into cream mixture, then drop in pod. Bring mixture just to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 20 minutes.
Bring spiced milk to a simmer, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding spices and peel. Return to saucepan.
Whisk whole egg and yolks with remaining 1/2 cup sugar in bowl until pale, then add hot spiced milk in a slow stream, whisking. Return to saucepan and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until mixture coats back of spoon and registers 170 to 175°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil). Immediately strain custard through fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then whisk in rum and kosher salt.
Chill custard at least 6 hours, then freeze in ice cream maker.