One of the most highly anti cipated crops on eastern Long Island is the Silver Queen corn. It’s incredibly juicy and sweet and not at all starchy. It makes a crazy delicious ice cream that pairs perfectly with sweet, tart blackberries. The combination is the essence of summer here on the North Fork.
SERVES 8
4 ears sweet summer corn, preferably white
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
¾ cup sugar
8 large egg yolks
Blackberry Compote (recipe follows)
Slice the kernels off the cobs, letting them fall into a large saucepot. Break the cobs into thirds and add them to the pot. Add the milk, cream, and half (6 tablespoons) of the sugar. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Remove the cobs and set them aside. Using an immersion blender, puree the corn mixture in the pot. Return the cobs to the pot and let stand for 1 hour to infuse. Remove the cobs.
Fill a bowl with ice and cold water, and set it aside.
Return the pot to the heat and allow it to come to a scald. Turn off the heat. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar. Slowly add 1 cup of the corn mixture to the yolks, whisking constantly. Add the yolk mixture to the pot, whisking. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes.
Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing down on the solids; discard the solids. Cool in the ice bath. Remove from the bath, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
In an ice cream maker, process the custard according to the manufacturer’s directions. Place in an airtight container, cover, and freeze until ready to serve in dessert bowls atop Blackberry Compote.
Blackberry Compote
4 cups fresh blackberries (4½-pint containers)
3 to 4 tablespoons sugar, to taste
Orange liqueur
In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of the blackberries with the sugar. Let stand for at least 15 minutes to macerate. Then puree in a blender, and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl; discard the solids.
Stir in the liqueur to taste. Add the remaining 3 cups berries, and toss to combine.
