Pink-grapefruit and basil ice cream

Prep time: 20 minutes, plus infusing, cooling and freezing time Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves 6

Possibly the best ice cream I’ve ever made. The recipe was inspired by a lemon and basil ice cream I’d been making for years, but this version is even better. Remove the ice cream from the freezer about 10 minutes before you want to serve it so that it can soften.

INGREDIENTS

– finely grated zest and juice of 1 pink grapefruit

– 50g granulated sugar

– 300ml whole milk

– 35 basil leaves, roughly torn

– 4 large egg yolks

– 75g caster sugar

– 150ml whipping cream

– 1-2 tbsp lemon juice

METHOD

Put the grapefruit zest and granulated sugar in a mortar and bash with a pestle for a couple of minutes, to flavour the sugar.

Heat the milk with the sugar mixture to boiling point. Remove from the heat and add the basil leaves. Set aside to infuse for a couple of hours.

Beat the egg yolks and caster sugar until pale and thick.

Strain the infused milk into a jug, using the back of a spoon to press out the flavour from the basil and grapefruit zest. Now stir this into the egg mixture and put it into a heavy-bottomed pan.

Set the custard over a low heat, stirring all the time, until it thickens slightly. It should coat the back of a spoon, but be very careful, as the custard will scramble if it gets too hot.

Immediately pour the custard into a cool bowl set in a basin of iced water. Leave to get to room temperature, stirring from time to time as it cools.

Whip the cream until it’s holding its shape – don’t take it too far. Fold this into the custard then stir in the grapefruit juice. Add 1 tbsp of lemon juice and taste – the lemon should enhance the grapefruit flavour but not overwhelm it. Add a little more if necessary.

Churn in an ice-cream maker – or transfer to a flat, shallow container and freeze, mixing it up 3 times as it freezes.