GOAT CHEESE ICE CREAM WITH FENNEL, LEMON AND HONEY

Goat Cheese Ice Cream With Fennel, Lemon and Honey image

Provided by David Tanis

Time 5h30m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

3 cups whole milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds or 1/2 teaspoon whole anise seeds
Pinch of salt
4 egg yolks
8 ounces plain fresh goat cheese (chèvre), crumbled
1/4 cup honey
1 cup blueberries (optional)

Steps:

Put the milk, sugar, lemon zest, fennel seeds and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to just under a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, then turn heat to low.
Place egg yolks in a small bowl. Slowly whisk 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks to temper them. (This keeps the yolks from curdling.) Whisk yolk mixture back into the remaining milk in the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn off heat and whisk in the goat cheese.
Pour ice cream mixture into a bowl and set in an ice bath until completely cool, about 30 minutes. Alternatively, cool mixture in the refrigerator for several hours.
Churn mixture in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions, usually about 30 minutes. At this point, the ice cream will still be somewhat soft. Transfer about 1/2 cup at a time to a storage container, drizzling a little honey over each addition.
Cover container and freeze for at least 4 hours, until firm, before serving. (Freezing the ice cream overnight is recommended.) Serve in bowls with blueberries, if using.