Bastide Restaurant's Lavender Vacherin Ice Cream

Alain Giraud ~ Chef Director - Bastide Restaurant L.A.

Serves 8

 Ingredients:

*Indicates items available at Nicole's Gourmet Foods

Lavender Ice Cream:

• 1 1/2c milk

• ½ c  heavy cream

• ½ vanilla pod*

• 4 egg yolks

• ¾ c sugar

• 1 ½ tsp. dried lavender*

 Meringue Drops:

• 4 ½ oz. granulated sugar

• Whites of 2 large eggs

Whipped Cream:

• 1 c heavy cream

• 1/8 c powdered sugar

Raspberry Coulis:

• 10 oz fresh raspberries

• ¼ c granulated sugar

• 1 Tbl. lemon juice

Garnish:

• 16 fresh strawberries

• Lavender sprig

Instructions:

 For Lavender Ice Cream:

 1. Bring milk, cream, vanilla and ½ of the sugar to a boil.  Add the lavender, turn heat off and infuse for 1 minute.

2. In a separate bowl, combine yolks and sugar. Prepare a bowl of ice water; set an empty bowl on top of the ice water and place a strainer on top of the empty bowl.

3. Temper the yolk and sugar with a small amount of the warm mixture above, being careful not to cook or “scramble” the eggs.  Bring the milk cream mixture back to a boil and stir in the tempered yolk mixture. Cook, mixing continuously with a wooden spoon, until the mix coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes.

4. Strain mixture into the empty bowl and chill.

5. Run mixture in an ice cream machine until set, and place in freezer.

For Meringue Drops:

 1. Prepare a double boiler bath (bain marie).

2. In a mixing bowl, combine egg whites and sugar.  Place on the double boiler and whisk for approximately 5 minutes or until mixture is warm to the touch.

3. Remove from water bath and place in an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Whip to medium-stiff peak.

4. Using a pastry bag with a medium-sized round tip, pipe onto a parchment-lined sheet in to a teardrop shape (We suggest piping on a diagonal.).

5. Place sheet in an oven pre-heated to 175F convection or 200F still oven, and dry until hard but without color.

6. Remove from oven, cool and store drops in an airtight container.

For Whipped Cream:

 1. In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, combine cream and sugar. Beat to medium-stiff peak.

2. Place in pastry bag with a star tip.

For Raspberry Coulis:

 1. In a blender, place the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice. Blend at high speed until smooth. Strain. Taste and adjust for flavor.

Presentation:

1. Place 1 #12 scoop of lavender ice cream on each plate.

2. Pipe whipped cream using the star-tipped pastry bag, covering entire scoop to form a dome.

3. Quarter the strawberries and place them over the whip cream-covered ice cream. Alternate the strawberries with the meringue drops.

4. Make a rim of raspberry coulis around the dome. Garnish with lavender sprig. Serve immediately.

Please note: This recipe, and others posted here have been generously offered to us to share with our customers.  They are intended to be used for your personal home consumption and not for use commercially or for profit in any form. You may print and/or save the recipes for you own use, but they may not reproduced in any form - other than for home use - without the prior written consent of the original author. 

If you have questions regarding re-production rights, or regarding a specific recipe, please do not contact the restaurants directly. Email us at info@nicolesgourmetfoods.com and we will assist you with any of your questions.

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Last modified: 10/04/05

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