For 1 litre (about small 10 scoops) you need:
6-8 medium fresh fig leaves, preferably young leaves, washed and dried
500ml cream
350ml milk
100-125ml sugar
pinch salt
3ml vanilla extract (optional)
5 large egg yolks
25ml honey, (warmed, if it’s not pourable)
To prepare
Place the washed fig leaves on a wire rack in the sun. They dry quickly in the sun on a hot day OR on a baking tray under the grill, heat fig leaves, turning a few times while warming until they are slightly dried out and fragrant – about 90 seconds. They must not scorch!
Figs drying in the sun!
Put the leaves in a medium saucepan. Add the cream and the milk. Heat until the mixture is warm, not boiling, then allow to infuse for a few hours. I placed the pan in the fridge overnight.
Pour the mixture through a sieve, pressing the leaves to ensure that all the liquid is squeezed out.
Add the sugar, salt, vanilla and honey and heat the mixture slightly, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.
Pour the warm (not boiling) mixture it into the egg yolks in a steady stream while whisking constantly. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture just begins to thicken; it must not boil, but coat the back of a spoon.
Strain the mixture.
Chill the mixture well, preferably overnight, then churn in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
If you don’t have an ice cream machine, place the mixture in a shallow bowl, let it just begin to freeze (about 30% of the mixture would have formed ice crystals). Remove from the freezer and whisk for a few minutes. Return the freezer and repeat this 3 times.
Serve this ice cream with fig Tarte Tatin or Grilled Fresh figs.
To grill fresh figs
Halve the figs and place flesh side up on a baking sheet. Place under the grill just until the edges begin to brown. Serve with a drizzle of honey, just be careful, the ice cream is fairly sweet, and a sprinkling of chopped pistachios or pecans.
