On our opening day at the market an American lady suggested an ice cream that she loved from a restaurant in Paris. After some experimentation we decided upon this recipe and it has remained a firm favourite ever since, with a fanatical following.

I like to use fleur de sel salt for the salted caramel mix as it imparts a very particular flavour and intensity. This recipe will make slightly more than will fit in your machine, so use the leftover ice cream for another recipe. You can serve this ice cream with almond nut brittle.

SALTED CARAMEL MIX

100g granulated sugar
1 tablespoon agave nectar
120ml double cream
1 teaspoon fleur de sel salt
60ml soured cream, (made with 40 ml double cream and 4 teaspoons lemon juice)

ICE CREAM

800ml basic unsweetened ice cream

METHOD

First make the salted caramel mix. Heat the sugar, agave nectar and 60 ml water in a medium-sized saucepan with a sugar thermometer. Stir to dissolve the sugar as you bring to the boil over a high heat.

Meanwhile, heat the cream and salt in another saucepan until the salt has dissolved and the cream has come to a boil, then remove and set aside.

Continue to heat the sugar mix until it reaches 180°C. It should be quite dark, just on the verge of being burnt. Remove from the heat and let it sit for a moment. Whisk the hot cream and salt into the hot sugar mix. It will spit as you do this, so take care and be careful it doesn’t bubble up over the edge of the pan. As it is extremely hot, it may be better to place the pan in the bottom of a stainless-steel sink.

Whisk in the soured cream then leave to cool and store in the fridge.

To make the ice cream, make one quantity of the basic unsweetened mix and prepare to the stage before cooling.

When both mixtures are cool, mix them together and churn in an ice-cream maker.

After churning, transfer to a container and layer with almond nut brittle if you wish. We like to serve ours with an extra layer of fleur de sel caramel sauce for added flavour.

Keep in the freezer until ready to serve.

Recipe appears courtesy of Cooked.com.au.

From Ruby Violet’s Ice Cream Dream by Julie Fisher.