This morning I had to go to the doctors, something I will never enjoy. When I was a little girl, my mum used to take me for an ice cream after an appointment. I can still picture the shop, which has long since closed down, with its bright yellow facade and huge containers of different flavours sitting invitingly behind the glass-fronted counter. The one I always chose? – banana.
In today’s foodie marketplace, where artisanal, authentic food is highly prized, that little Italian family gelateria would probably be doing a roaring trade.
Join me on a journey back in time? This recipe is the ticket…
Banana Ice Cream, adapted from the booklet that came with my Panasonic ice cream maker
2 egg yolks (large)
50g granulated sugar
80ml milk
1 large ripe banana
120ml double cream
Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until they turn pale. Add the milk and place in a saucepan, and stir well over a low heat until the mixture thickens. Keep stirring as it can very easily catch on the bottom of the pan and start to burn (I narrowly averted such a disaster)! Remove from the heat before the mixture boils and add the banana – mashed or diced – to the custard mixture. I used one banana that had been frozen in its skin and then defrosted, plus about one third of a ripe-ish (but not yet brown) banana. Allow the mixture to cool briefly before pureeing in a food processor or blender.
Whisk the cream in a separate bowl until thick. I did this by hand using a balloon whisk – so satisfying! – but you could use electric beaters for a quicker result. Stir the cream into the custard mixture and then freeze in your ice cream maker (mine took about 3 hours).
