Mara Des Bois Strawberries; Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream

Dabbous

Posted by Bloomsbury

About

This is unquestionably my favourite ice cream. Tahitian vanilla is excruciatingly expensive but worth every penny. The taste is more marshmallow-like, virginal and rounded than that of Madagascan vanilla, which tastes positively medicinal alongside. Mara des Bois strawberries, at their best, have a floral violet aftertaste and a sweetness beyond most other varieties.

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You Will Need (22 things)

  • Tahitian vanilla ice cream

  • 1  litre Milk
  • 300 ml Whipping Cream
  • 100 g Dextrose
  • 30 g Milk Powder
  • 4 g Ice-Cream Stabiliser
  • 1 g Xanthan Gum
  • 100 g Caster Sugar
  • 100 g Liquid Glucose
  • 1  Tahitian Vanilla Pod , slit open lengthwise, seeds scraped out

  • Strawberry juice

  • 500 g Strawberries
  • 250 ml Water
  • 50 g Caster Sugar
  • 1 Lemongrass stick, bruised and chopped
  • ½ Vanilla Pod , slit open lengthwise
  • 30 ml Lemon Juice

  • To assemble

  • 32 Mara des Bois Strawberries , cut in half, plus 8 small strawberries, stem on, to decorate
  • Icing Sugar
  • Lemon Juice
  • 24 Basil Leaves

Steps (3 steps, 60 minutes)

  1. 1

    Tahitian vanilla ice cream

    1. Put the milk and cream in a pan and heat to 84°C.
    2. Add all the powders, plus the sugar and glucose, and combine with a hand blender to dissolve.
    3. Add the vanilla pod and seeds, remove from the heat and transfer to a container.
    4. Cover with cling film and leave to cool.
    5. Leave to mature in the fridge overnight. 
    6. The next day, remove the vanilla pod and blend the mixture with a hand blender to emulsify.
    7. Pass through a fine sieve.
    8. Churn in an ice-cream machine, then transfer to a chilled container and store in the freezer.

  2. 2

    Strawberry juice

    1. Purée the strawberries in a blender until smooth.
    2. Pass the purée through a fine sieve.
    3. Bring the water and sugar to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the lemongrass and vanilla.
    4. Cover with a lid and leave to cool.
    5. Add the strawberry purée and lemon juice and chill overnight.
    6. Pass through a fine sieve and store on ice for 30 minutes before serving.

  3. 3

    To assemble

    1. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and beat it to soften it a little. 
    2. Season the strawberries with icing sugar and lemon juice, then leave for 2 minutes to macerate.
    3. Divide between 8 glass dishes, top with the basil leaves and spoon over a little of the strawberry juice.
    4. Place the ice cream in a piping bag with a star-shaped nozzle and pipe on top. 
    5. Top with the strawberries with stems on.
    6. Serve with a jug of strawberry juice alongside.