Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Ice cream maker with frozen bowl or compressor
• •Medium heavy-bottomed saucepan
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Large metal bowl for ice bath
• •Freezer-safe container (1 1/2 quart capacity)

Instructions

1. 1

   Macerate the strawberries

   Slice half the strawberries into thin rounds and place in a bowl. Roughly chop the remaining berries into irregular chunks. Toss all the strawberries with half a cup of sugar and the lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight. The berries will weep ruby liquid and soften, intensifying their flavor tenfold. This step is not optional.

   The two textures matter. Sliced berries break down into the base; chunks remain as pockets of fruit in every scoop.
2. 2

   Prepare the ice bath

   Fill a large bowl with ice and nestle a smaller metal bowl inside. Set a fine-mesh strainer over the inner bowl. This setup must be ready before you start cooking. Custard waits for nothing, and you'll need to cool it quickly to stop the cooking and preserve that silky texture.

3. 3

   Heat the cream mixture

   Combine the heavy cream, milk, and remaining half cup of sugar in a medium saucepan. Set over medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the mixture steams, about five minutes. Small bubbles will form around the edges. Do not let it boil.

4. 4

   Temper the egg yolks

   While the cream heats, whisk the egg yolks and salt in a medium bowl until slightly thickened and pale. When the cream is hot, ladle about half a cup into the yolks while whisking constantly. This tempers the eggs, raising their temperature gradually so they don't scramble. Add another ladle, still whisking. Now pour the warmed yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream.

   Whisking while you pour is the whole trick. Stop whisking and you'll have sweet scrambled eggs.
5. 5

   Cook the custard

   Return the saucepan to medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom and corners where eggs like to seize. Cook until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of your spoon, about six to eight minutes. Draw your finger across the coated spoon. If the line holds clean without the custard running back together, you're done. Temperature should read 170 to 175 degrees if you're using a thermometer.

6. 6

   Strain and cool

   Immediately pour the hot custard through the strainer into the cold bowl over ice. The strainer catches any bits of cooked egg, and the ice bath halts cooking instantly. Stir the custard occasionally as it cools. Add the vanilla extract once the mixture has cooled for a few minutes. Continue stirring until the custard is cold to the touch, about fifteen minutes.

7. 7

   Add the strawberries

   Drain the macerated strawberries, reserving every drop of that precious ruby syrup. Stir the syrup into the cold custard. Take half the strawberry pieces and puree them until smooth, then fold this into the custard. The remaining chunks stay whole. They'll become those glorious frozen fruit pockets everyone fights over.

   A hand blender works well for the puree, or simply mash with a fork for a more rustic texture.
8. 8

   Chill thoroughly

   Cover the strawberry custard and refrigerate until completely cold, at least four hours or overnight. The colder the base, the faster it churns and the smoother your ice cream. Patience here pays dividends.

9. 9

   Churn the ice cream

   Pour the cold base into your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directions, usually twenty to twenty-five minutes. The ice cream is ready when it holds soft peaks and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. In the final two minutes, add the reserved strawberry chunks, letting the machine fold them through.

10. 10

    Freeze until firm

    Transfer the soft ice cream to a freezer-safe container, pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent ice crystals. Freeze for at least four hours until firm enough to scoop. The ice cream will keep its best texture for about a week, though it rarely lasts that long.

Chef Tips

• •Smaller, uglier strawberries often taste better than the large picture-perfect ones. Size in berries often comes at the expense of flavor concentration. Ask your farmer which variety is sweetest.
• •If your strawberries lack intensity, add a tablespoon of freeze-dried strawberry powder to the custard. This concentrates flavor without adding water. Find it in the baking aisle.
• •For the silkiest texture, let your finished ice cream sit at room temperature for five minutes before scooping. Straight from the freezer, it can be too firm. A few minutes takes the edge off.
• •The lemon juice is not optional. It brightens the berries and prevents them from tasting flat. You won't taste lemon; you'll taste better strawberry.

Advance Preparation

• •Macerated strawberries can sit refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Longer maceration means deeper flavor.
• •The custard base can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before churning. In fact, 24-hour aging improves both flavor and texture.
• •Churned ice cream keeps its best texture for about one week. Beyond that, ice crystals develop and texture suffers.
• •For parties, make the ice cream two days ahead and transfer to a decorative serving bowl. Return it to the freezer, then move to the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving for perfect scooping consistency.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 120g)