Fresh Corn Ice Cream Recipes

SWEET CORN ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Using a large knife, slice kernels from cobs; place in a large saucepan. Cut or break cobs into thirds; add to pot with milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring; turn off heat. Remove cobs, and discard. Using an immersion blender or a blender, puree mixture. Infuse for 1 hour by covering the pan with a tight-fitting lid.
• Uncover, bring to a simmer, and turn off heat. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Add a cup of hot cream to yolks, stirring constantly so they do not curdle. Add the yolk mixture to saucepan, stirring. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the spoon, about 10 minutes.
• Pass custard through a coarse sieve, then through a fine sieve or chinois, pressing down on solids; discard solids. Let custard cool. Cover; chill at least 4 hours. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Serve garnished with blackberries.

SWEET CORN ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Combine the corn kernels, cobs and half-and-half in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook until bubbles appear at the edges of the pan; continue to cook for 8 to 10 minutes more. Remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 1 hour.
• Stand the cooled cobs up in the pan. Scrape a blunt knife against each one to release any remaining liquid, then discard the cobs. Transfer the corn kernel mixture to a blender and puree until smooth.
• Make the custard: Whisk together the pureed corn mixture, sugar, sour cream and vanilla in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Lightly beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk about 1/4 cup of the warm corn mixture into the beaten egg yolks, then pour into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens and coats the spoon, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Let the custard cool slightly, then transfer to a blender, filling it only halfway (do in batches if needed). Put on the lid, leaving one corner open. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters and pulse until smooth. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl; discard the solids. Repeat with any remaining custard.
• Stir the mixture often until it cools to room temperature. Lightly press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours. (For faster chilling, set the bowl of custard in a bowl of ice water and stir until cold.)
• Freeze the cold custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm, 2 to 3 hours.
• Scoop the ice cream into bowls. Top with caramel corn or a splash of bourbon, if desired.

SWEET CORN ICE CREAM WITH BLACKBERRY VERBENA SAUCE

Steps:

• Using a large knife, slice the kernels off the corn cobs and place in a large saucepan. Break cobs in half and add to pot along with milk, cream and 110 grams (1/2 cup) sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring, then remove from heat. Let stand to infuse for 1 hour, then discard corn cobs.
• Using an immersion or regular blender, purée kernel mixture. Return mixture to a simmer, then turn off heat. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks, 1/8 teaspoon salt and another 55 grams ( 1/4 cup) of sugar. Add a cup of hot cream mixture to yolks, stirring constantly so they don't curdle. Add yolk mixture to saucepan, stirring. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until custard thickens enough to coat the spoon, about 10 minutes.
• Pass custard through a fine sieve, pressing down hard on the solids. Discard solids. Whisk in sour cream until smooth. Let custard cool in an ice bath, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine remaining 60 grams sugar (5 tablespoons), lemon verbena (or zest) and 1/4 cup water and bring to a simmer. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar melts and syrup thickens slightly, about 7 minutes. Add blackberries and cook for 5 to 7 minutes longer, until fruit just softens, but doesn't fall apart. Let cool, then discard verbena.
• Freeze corn mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Serve with blackberries and syrup on top.

SWEET CORN ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle pan over medium-high heat. Add the corn to the dry skillet, in batches if necessary, so the corn lays in an even layer. Cook the corn, rotating the cobs every few minutes, until the kernels turn bright yellow and char in spots, about 8 minutes. Cool until the corn can be handled, at least 5 minutes.
• Place a small bowl upside down in the middle of a larger bowl. Rest one end of a corn cob on the small bowl and place a hand on top to stabilize the cob. Use a chef's knife to cut the kernels off one side of the cob, then rotate the cob and continue until all the kernels are removed. Repeat with the remaining corn. If necessary, transfer the corn kernels to a 4-quart or larger saucepan to make room in the bowl.
• Combine the corn kernels, cobs, cream, milk and salt in the large saucepan. Stir to combine and then place the pan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to ensure it doesn't scald on the bottom of the pan. When bubbles form around the edges of the pan and steam comes off the top remove it from the heat. You can use the mixture immediately or, for more intense corn flavor, let it steep for 30 minutes.
• Remove the cobs from the cream mixture and compost or discard them. Working in batches, transfer the corn and cream mixture to a blender, filling the blender no more than three-quarters full. Remove the stopper from the blender lid to allow steam to release while blending and place a kitchen towel over the top. Blend until the kernels are mostly pureed and the mixture becomes pale yellow, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Repeat until all the cream mixture is blended and strained.
• Rinse and dry the saucepan and pour the strained liquid into the pan. Set aside. Compost or discard the solids in the strainer. Have a large clean bowl with a fine mesh strainer placed over the top ready; set aside.
• Whisk the egg yolks and brown sugar together in a medium bowl. Ladle in about 1 cup of the milk mixture and whisk to combine, making sure the brown sugar is completely dissolved. Stir the yolk mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until it reaches 175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer or it coats a spatula or the back of a spoon thickly enough so you can make a track in it with your finger. Immediately strain the custard into the clean bowl. Whisk in the cinnamon.
• Freeze the custard according to the instructions for your ice cream maker; some machines require you to chill the custard completely before churning it and some allow you to churn it immediately after cooking. If it's necessary to chill it, let the mixture sit in the bowl until it reaches room temperature and then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate until cold. The custard can be refrigerated 1 to 2 days before churning.
• Once churned, transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze until hardened, at least 4 hours. Scoop and serve!