Corn Dinner, Dessert: Sweet Corn Ice Cream

Corn ice cream via flickr by stuart_spivack

Claudia Fleming is one of America’s great pastry chefs. These days, you can find the former Gramercy Tavern pastry chef and her luscious desserts at the North Fork Table and Inn in Southold on Long Island’s North Fork.

If you missed the other courses for the all corn dinner, here they are:

Drinks Snack: All Corn Dinner: With Cocktails Try Chewy Corn Nibbles

First Course: Corn Dinner: First Course, Grilled Corn on the Cob

Main Course: Corn and Clam Chowder

Sweet Corn Ice Cream
Ingredients
4 ears of sweet summer corn (preferably white)
2 c whole milk
2 c heavy cream
¾ c granulated sugar
8 large egg yolks

Method
Slice the kernels off the corncobs and place in a large saucepot. Break the cobs into thirds and add them to the pot along with the milk, cream and half the sugar.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Remove from the heat and remove the corncobs.

Using an immersion blender, puree the corn.  Return the cobs to the pot to infuse for approximately one hour.

Bring the mixture back to the heat and allow it to come to a scald. Turn off the heat. In a small bowl whisk the yolks with the remaining sugar. Slowly add 1 cup of the corn mixture to the yolks whisking constantly . Add the yolk mixture  to the saucepot whisking. Cook over medium low heat , stirring continuously with a heatproof rubber spatula until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Pass the custard through a fine sieve, pressing down on the solids; discard solids. Cool custard in an ice bath, then cover and chill at least 4 hours. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.

Source:  Claudia Fleming, co/owner and pastry chef, The North Fork Table & Inn;
former pastry chef, Gramercy Tavern, New York; James Beard Award winner, Pastry Chef of the Year, 2000.