Ice Cream with Prunes and Armangac
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Makes 8 servings
The prunes of Agen, which are firm and meaty with a delicious sweet-sour tang, are the most famous in France. For dessert one night, we made a sensational prune ice cream, heady with prune eau de vie. The recipe requires some adjustments to make in the US, but nothing that will hurt the final result. California prunes (now marketed "dried plums," but don't ask me why) are good, but they could fall apart if marinated for too long, so a short maceration will do. And another regional specialty, Armagnac, stands in for the eau de vie.
Soaked Prunes
1 cup pitted and coarsely chopped dried plums (aka prunes)
1/2 cup Armagnac, Cognac, or brandy
Ice Cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- A couple of hours before making the ice cream, soak the prunes in the Armagnac. macerate the prunes. First, heat the Armagnac in a small saucepan over low heat. Light the Armagnac with a long match. Let flame until the fire extinguishes itself, about 30 minutes. (If it doesn't stop on its own, cover with a lid.) It is important to "burn off" the alcohol from the Armagnac, or the ice cream won't set. Stir into the prunes. Let 1 to 2 hours.
- In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, bring the cream, milk, and vanilla bean to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove the bean and scrape the seeds into the cream with the tip of a small knife. Discard the bean (or bury it in sugar to make vanilla sugar).
- In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar until thick. Gradually whisk the hot cream mixture into the yolks. Rinse out the saucepan and return the mixture to it. Using a wooden spatula or spoon (the spatula scrapes the bottom of the pot more efficiently), cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard is thick enough to coat the spatula, about 3 minutes. (An instant-read thermometer will read 185°F.)
- Strain the custard into a medium bowl set in a larger bowl of iced water. Let stand, adding more ice cubes to the water if needed, stirring often, until the custard is very cold, about 20 minutes.
- Pour the custard into the container of an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the ice cream is almost hard, add about half of the prunes and their liquid. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container. Freeze at least 2 hours or overnight. To serve, scoop the ice cream into chilled bowls and top with the remaining prunes and Armagnac.
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