- 16 OZ milk
- 16 OZ heavy cream
- 7 OZ (198 G) sugar
- 1 OZ corn syrup
- ½ OZ (14 G) green tea leaves
- ¼ TSP salt
- 10 OZ egg yolks (18 to 20 eggs)
- Combine the milk, heavy cream, corn syrup, salt, tea leaves and half of the sugar in a saucepan and bring just to a boil over medium heat. Immediately remove from the heat and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain the mixture into a clean pan and return to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, blend the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and beat until light colored and smooth (the sugar has partially dissolved). Temper by gradually adding about ⅓ of the hot milk mixture, whipping constantly. Return the tempered egg mixture to the remaining hot milk in the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (180°F/82°C). Immediately remove from the heat.
- Continue whisking until you are able to strain the mixture into a metal container and immediately transfer to an ice bath. Cool to below 40°F/4°C, whisking occasionally to keep the mixture smooth. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 12 hours, or overnight.
- Process in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pack into storage containers (or molds) and freeze for several hours, overnight preferably, before serving.
Yields 2 QT.
VARIATIONS:
- Earl Grey or Chai Ice Cream: Replace the green tea leaves with ½ OZ (14 G) of Earl Grey or chai tea leaves.
- Coffee Ice Cream: Replace the green tea leaves with 2 OZ (57 G) coarsely ground coffee beans.
- Star Anise Ice Cream: Replace the green tea leaves with 1¼ OZ (35 G) toasted star anise. Do not strain the custard after cooking, leave the anise in the base during refrigeration, then strain before freezing.
- Toasted Coconut Ice Cream: Replace the green tea leaves with 6 OZ (170 G) lightly toasted unsweetened coconut.
- Cardamom Ice Cream: Replace the green tea leaves with ½ OZ (14 G) chopped green cardamom pods.
- Peanut Butter Ice Cream: Replace the green tea leaves with 4 OZ (113 G) peanut butter.