michelle picker cooks

Here’s a flavour combination I tried once and have never forgotten. A delicious summery combination of bright lemon with an intriguing hint of basil.

Measure 2 cups of full fat milk, removing 2 tablespoons of the milk to make a slurry with 4 – 5 teaspoons of cornflour (cornstarch). Heat the remainder in a saucepan with 1¼ cups of heavy cream, ⅔ of a cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of corn syrup. Wrap the leaves from a bunch of basil and the rind from 2 small lemons in some muslin and tie it together well. Add it to the pot and bring the mixture to the boil, simmering for 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the basil and lemon rind steep for 1 hour. Remove the muslin bag and squeeze as much of the mixture from it as possible. Bring the mixture back to a simmer and whisk in the cornflour slurry, cooking until thick. Cool in an ice bath. When the ice cream mixture is cool, put the mixture in a blender with 45g (1½ oz) of cream cheese, 2-3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and ⅛ of a teaspoon each of salt, xanthan gum (optional) and guar gum (optional). Blend until very smooth and refrigerate, preferably overnight, before churning. After churning, freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.