You might be right if you think this is turning into a blog about obscure, leafy ingredients. When I sniffed the fragrant leaves of lemon verbena, or verveine, at a friend’s house near Nice, she told me to take as much as I wanted home, and I eagerly grabbed the clippers. To preserve the bounty almost as soon as I got home, I churned up a batch of lemon verbena ice cream.
In France, after dinner, people enjoy infusions and tisanes, known in English as "herbal teas." However, in France, "tea" (thé) specifically refers to black tea. Infusions and tisanes, on the other hand, are brewed using herbs or botanicals, such as chamomile flowers or cherry stems, without any black tea.A notable exception is North African-style mint tea, known as thé à la menthe, which typically contains some green tea. This blurs the line between "tea" made with leaves and "infusion" also made with leaves, creating some confusion.
It's amusing to watch visitors from my home country try to explain to café waiters that they want "lemon verbena tea," as the French often don't understand the request. (I shouldn't laugh; I've been in that situation myself.) So, I'm not making fun of anyone.
Right now, I'm picking fresh lemon verbena from my garden in Paris. It thrives here, and Romain enjoys using verveine to make infusions for after dinner. However, as an ice cream maker, I can't resist incorporating it into my ice cream recipes.
Recently, I updated the recipe by adding a touch of fresh lemon zest, which I infuse with the leaves. I also add a few drops of lemon juice at the end to enhance and highlight the lemon flavor of the verbena leaves.
Lemon verbena ice cream pairs wonderfully with other ice creams or sorbets, like apricot or lemon sorbet. It's also delightful when served alongside poached pears.
would you taste a Lemon Verbena Ice Cream :
Refreshing Lemon Verbena Ice Cream
Course: . ** Dessert
Servings: ** 8
Ingredients:
- - 1 3/4 cups (15-18g) fresh lemon verbena leaves, gently packed
- - 1 1/2 cups (375ml) whole milk
- - 1 1/2 cups (375ml) heavy cream
- - 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
- - Pinch of salt
- - 1 lemon
- - 6 large egg yolks
- - 1 tablespoon very finely chopped dried or fresh lemon verbena leaves (to add to the just-churned ice cream)
Instructions:
1. Infuse the Milk and Cream:
In a medium saucepan, combine the lemon verbena leaves, milk, 1/2 cup (125ml) of the cream, sugar, a pinch of salt, and a few swipes of grated lemon zest. Warm the mixture over medium heat.
2. Steeping:
Once warm, remove from heat, cover, and let the mixture steep for one hour. For a more intense flavor, refrigerate and steep for up to 8 hours.
3. Prepare the Ice Bath:
To make the ice cream custard, pour the remaining cream into a large bowl. Place this bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice water. Set a mesh strainer on top of the cream-filled bowl.
4. Strain the Infusion:
Use a strainer or slotted spoon to remove the lemon verbena leaves from the milk and cream mixture. Squeeze the leaves to extract as much liquid as possible back into the saucepan, then discard the leaves. Rewarm the infused milk and cream.
5. Make the Custard:
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together. Slowly pour in the warm lemon verbena infusion while whisking constantly.
6. Cook the Custard:
Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously with a heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens enough to leave a trail on the spatula when you drag your finger across it. If using a thermometer, aim for a temperature of about 175°F (79°C).
7. Cool the Custard:
Immediately strain the custard into the bowl of cream. Stir until the mixture is cool.
8. Chill:
Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.
9. Add Lemon Juice:
Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice into the ice cream base.
10. Churn:
Freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
11. Finish:
Once the ice cream is churned, stir in the finely chopped dried or fresh lemon verbena leaves.
Enjoy this delicious and refreshing lemon verbena ice cream as a perfect dessert for any occasion!
