Retro Eats

Work made me do it.

I tested two recipes for our Mother's Day reader write-in. The staff-photographed art did not make it into the paper, but of course I had to document these zany-looking dishes myself.

Bun Bo Hue

Last weekend I embarked on one of my occasional cooking projects. I call them projects because I find myself baffled over where to find ingredients at the store, and exhausted but still standing at the kitchen stove past 1 a.m. At that point I’m bemoaning my weary feet and reminding myself how hard it would be on my body if I cooked for a living. (I have to tell myself this every so often because I find the thought of owning a pastry shop very enticing!)

In February, I was up past midnight churning raspberry lambic ice cream for DessertFest2007. Saturday and Sunday, it was all about Bun Bo Hue. This spicy beef and pork noodle soup is a specialty of Hue in central Vietnam. It’s the dish I often beg my mom to make when I visit her in L.A., and it’s the dish I gobbled up two mornings in a row when I traveled to Vietnam in 2005.

I started off studying Andrea Nguyen’s wonderfully detailed cookbook, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen, for what to buy and basic technique. Her cookbook is an invaluable resource in these instances; asking Mom would take too long and test our patience greatly.

Like most of my Vietnamese cooking endeavors – not that there have been that many – I drove to Hong Kong Market for ingredients. At the store, though, I realized I had no idea what banana blossoms/buds look like. Since I’d only seen them thinly sliced in restaurants, I called my parents to confirm. It would be the first of three consecutive calls.

I wandered over to the vast meat department. I don’t buy much red meat, so I spent some time searching for beef bones and such. I called my parents again, first to see if pork hocks cut earlier the same day were OK to buy and again to discuss seasoned ground pork. I only needed a small portion of beef, but the butcher guy wouldn’t cut me one, so I had to swing by Kroger for a piece of steak.

Bun Bo Hue requires an intense broth cooked for hours. My mom does simmer her version for a long time, but she also uses a prepackaged flavoring base to move it along. I decided that I would mostly follow Andrea's recipe and take no shortcuts. Plus, simmering beef bones would give me delicious bone marrow to enjoy! In short, I sautéed chopped onions with annatto (seeds that impart an orange color), then seared pork hocks and steak in the same big pot. Next, in two 5-quart pots – because I didn’t have a large stock pot -- I tossed in the onions, pork hocks, parboiled beef bones, lemongrass, fish sauce, rock sugar and other seasonings, and let them simmer for an hour. For the second hour of simmering, I replaced the hocks and bones with the beef. I strained and refrigerated the broth and finally settled into bed after 2 a.m.

Here’s the thing about me and Vietnamese cuisine: I’m usually familiar with the dish I’m attempting and have witnessed my mom making it a number of times. Yet there’s generally an ingredient or two I’ve never cooked with. This time, it was those banana blossoms/buds; I didn’t remove all the flowers as I should’ve. Cooking Bun Bo Hue reminded me, once again, how much time my mother used to invest in preparing beautiful dinners for our family every day.

Sunday, I made the lemongrass-chili oil with three tablespoons of red pepper flakes and added lots of freshly ground pepper to the seasoned ground pork before dropping balls of it into the boiling broth (after skimming off a bunch of fat). I also cooked thick round rice noodles and prepared a garnish plate of banana blossoms/buds, mint, cilantro and lime wedges. I sliced up onions and scallions, but omitted the traditional bean sprouts – ick! – and romaine lettuce, instead chopping up Napa cabbage for YouKnowWho. (There were probably more steps, but everything’s a blur at this point.)

Delicious! Not to toot my own horn, but this is a meal I no longer have to beg Mom for. So satisfying. I decided to pack leftovers for CabbageLover and NoLaNative and also ate some more last night.

This morning, I had my blood drawn for cholesterol testing. Oh, boy.

Choctal ice cream

This treat is worth it in a stranded-on-a-deserted-island way. (Or, more appropriately, dessert island.) Smooth and velvety, without seeming too rich. The Ghana chocolate is great, but the Madagascar vanilla bean, with the crunch of the seeds, is unrivaled. Makes me swoon.

The only catch? Choctal claims 1 pint holds 5 servings! Yeah, right.

Cooking with Artichokes

My latest food story: The artichoke exposed.

Lexington Eats

CabbageLover and I journeyed to Kentucky last weekend for LexingtonNative's wedding (gorgeous in every way: weather; cute, countryside church; reception site with a dynamite patio; the wedding dress and killer shoes!). On the Friday flight over, I salivated over Bon Appetit's special Travel issue, which featured Shanghai soup dumplings. Can't wait to try these in China next month.

When we arrived, we headed straight for Billy's Bar-B-Q.

I couldn't wait to try the dill-ickles (or frickles, depending on which menu you're reading), banana pepper rings, garlicky cheese grits, coleslaw, green beans, pork ribs and a pulled pork sandwich. My favorites were the banana pepper rings -- tart and thinly sliced -- and the airy white-cornbread that came with the ribs. (CabbageLover and I agreed Mardi Gras Grill fries a superior, crispier pickle.)

At the wedding, we feasted on tasty Southern staples including shrimp and grits, biscuits and ham and a delicious passed hors d'oeuvre that reminded me of a dressy Bagel Bite. I can't remember what the waitress called it, but it oozed cheese and bacon and tomato atop a crispy phyllo tartlet shell. I washed all that down with champagne, then bourbon and 7-Up. And ended with some yummy cupcakes.

On Saturday, it was off to Keeneland for the races. Of course I was more interested in the KY specialty called burgoo, a meaty stew, than betting. It was good, but I have to admit that the fat beef frank that CabbageLover ordered was even more satisfying.

Those were mere snacks, though. We left the races a bit early to make a pilgrimage to White Castle. It was my first time, and it was sooo worth it! For once I enjoyed onions on my cheeseburger (or, more accurately, slyder). Other slyders I also tried: chicken ring, bacon cheeseburger and fish. I couldn't be stopped. As we left, I checked out the breakfast options. Bologna! CabbageLover, I declared, we're coming back here tomorrow morning.

Amid all this eating I had developed some cold symptoms, so I skipped the post-wedding bar outing that night and took a nap. Then I consumed a midnight meal at Waffle House. It was my first time at the chain, though Houston does have locations. My chocolate chip waffle was not fully cooked and a little too chocolatey, but still, I could tell it had potential. CabbageLover's sweet cream version was near perfect.

The White Castle folks greeted us again for breakfast. The fried(!) bologna, egg and cheese was Oh.So.Good, and the sausage, egg and cheese worth the trip, too. Sadly, the bacon, egg and cheese was kinda dry. Hash browns were greasy but fabulous, crisp on the outside and moist on the inside.

Then it was off to Midway, a picturesque, small town with fun shops and casual/upscale-ish eateries that weren't open around noon. We wandered into Quirk, a charming cafe with a downstairs bookshop. Quirk had high, airy ceilings, great natural light and an appealing menu.

I asked for a mug of apricot tea and a bourbon chocolate chip scone while CabbageLover got some coffee and a cherry scone. This time, my chocolate chip-studded food was much better, though the chips dominated the pleasing bourbon flavor too much.

Next, we drove to Versailles to visit Woodford Reserve Distillery. Essentially old gray buildings smelling of alcohol, but much cooler than that sounds.

The Bible Belt law prevented us from an undoctored taste of the bourbon (it was Sunday), but the chocolate bourbon balls we were allowed were delightful. (So, too, the nonalcoholic peach tea.)

Before heading to the airport, we returned to Midway to Wallace Station for sandwiches -- meatloaf & cheddar and Aussie grilled cheese with tomatoes and pesto -- and vinegar coleslaw. The sandwich fillings were good, but I absolutely loved the light but thick, toasty bread, with its excellent sandwich-pressed crunch. We topped that meal off with a scoop of Valentine's chocolate bourbon ice cream. What a buzz!

French Toast stuffed with roasted pears and cream cheese

CabbageLover treated me to a fantastic Sunday brunch of French toast stuffed with roasted pears and cream cheese. I topped each slab with Frentel butter while he drizzled on a ginger-infused maple syrup with a touch of apple juice. We also gobbled up some bacon, cantaloupe and berries.

Oh, yum!

CabbageLover, I said, this is delicious! A dish I would order at a restaurant. Would you be interested in guestblogging about your creation?

Well, no, he said, because then you couldn’t rave about my creation. So humble, no?

Anyway, he woke early Sunday to roast Asian and Anjou pears with vanilla and spices including cinnamon (he really wanted fresh peaches, but they weren’t in season). He cut thick pieces of French(?) bread, then butterflied each portion so he could smear cream cheese and tuck in the pear slices. (In full journalistic disclosure, this account is a recreation based on noteless reporting, as I was not privy to any of it firsthand.)

CabbageLover arrived at my pad with the bread already stuffed. He soaked each piece in an egg wash that included milk and half and half, then fried the bread in an oiled nonstick skillet. A beautiful golden brown crust developed. I ate two pieces Sunday. And another Monday.


CabbageLover, I said, what’s on the menu next week?!

Ouisie's Table

NoLaNative and I joined her buddy, CrabCakeLover, at Ouisie’s Table for brunch Saturday.

NoLaNative picked out the restaurant, a belated birthday gift to herself. I’d always been curious about Ouisie’s, but had never been there. It’s always seemed so River Oaksy for an everyday gal like myself. But we had a lovely time. Our late brunch in the bright, enclosed patio room was very relaxed. The service was pleasant and the bottomless mimosas the perfect ratio of OJ and champagne.

CrabCakeLover started with – surprise! – crab cakes while NoLaNative and I split a plate of cornmeal-crusted oysters. They were excellent, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and not a bit greasy. I could’ve eaten waaay more than two.

I’d heard the shrimp and grits – one of my favorite Southern dishes – are good here, but the moment my menu-scanning eyes landed on “seafood crepes,” I knew I had to get them. I’m a sucker for any kind of crepes. These were dressed with a bechamel sauce.

The crepes were nice enough, but they cried out for a little acid and kick; I should’ve request a lemon wedge and some cayenne. CrabCakeLover got a chicken dish, which didn’t excite me, seeing as I almost never order chicken (especially white meat!) anywhere except for Tapioca Express, where the pepper crispy popcorn chicken rocks. NoLaNative nabbed the shrimp and grits, which I regretted not ordering.

But that wisp of disappointment disappeared the minute I slipped a piece of tres leches cake in mouth. Oh. So. Good! (When I first tasted tres leches cake a long while ago, it was another one of those eye-opening, I’m-so-glad-I’m-in-Houston moments, right up there with boiled crawfish.) Though I had my doubts about ordering it at a very unLatin establishment, this cake was super moist and milky. No complaints. NoLaNative got the chocolate raspberry crème brulee – decent, but I’m all raspberried out since DessertFest2007 – and CrabCakeLover got the eggy house custard.

Ouisie’s, I’ll be back.

Pulcinella Ristorante

NolaNative and I stopped by Pulcinella in Katy for dinner Saturday.

Houstonians in the far-flung suburb of Katy, you ask? Happily, we were in the neighborhood of a popular Neopolitan-style pizza joint there, thanks to our shopping expedition at Katy Mills (where I gave into my usual, insatiable mall/airport craving and downed an insanely unhealthy MochaLatta Chill from Cinnabon).

Our menu:
Antipasto
Pizza Margherita
Pizza Quattro Formaggio

We chose the antipasto because neither of our pizzas contained meat, and we wanted some. The assorted cheeses, meats and olives were good, but I’m still battling a monthslong, self-inflicted prosciutto fatigue, so please don’t make me dwell on this topic…

Now I know that Neopolitan-style pies are not supposed to be drowning in cheese and toppings like their American counterparts, but I couldn’t help wishing the restaurant had been just a little more generous with the mozzarella on their otherwise tasty pizzas. At least give me a smidge of cheese in each bite of Margherita –- would that have been so hard? I also wished the four cheeses -- provolone and mozzarella, ricotta and bleu -- on the Quattro Formaggio had been better distributed, with at least two cheeses partyin’ in each bite. It’s a good thing the antipasto platter had the delicious bleu, because I never got to taste it on the pizza. And because of the hearty dollops of ricotta, NolaNative likened it to lasagna (which was fresh on her mind, since she had just baked a pan recently).

The next day, I upped the cheese-crust ratio and gobbled down three leftover slices with some melted slivers of a young, semisoft pecorino (noticeably more assertive than the aged stuff). Now that’s good eatin’.

Frentel butter

I keep overeating.

I blame Frentel.

Frentel is a French butter that I grew up eating in America, thanks to my dad, who grew up eating it in Vietnam. It comes in a red can, which would last quite a while in our family fridge. I remember my father would put dabs of the addictive stuff on cooked veggies, in banh mi thit, even on some piping hot Campbell’s chicken noodle soup. Everyday butter makes everything better, but Frentel is so, so much better still!

I hadn’t eaten it for years when I spied the familiar red can on a recent Asian grocery trip. I have been smearing it on everything imaginable since. Even Wheat Thins taste wonderful with a curl of Frentel. Instantly flavorful, this butter quickly coats the tongue and finishes a little salty. Food has become a mere a vehicle for my rediscovered love.

On Friday, in honor of retro dining and for an upcoming expose (ha!) on low-sodium soups, I slid a sliver of Frentel into a bowl of Campbell’s chunky chicken noodle -- Healthy Request, OK? (Alongside a poached egg, of course.) Mmm.

I only ate half a can, so guess what’s for dinner tonight?

Mardi Gras Grill

I ate a whole basket of battered and deep-fried pickles.

I didn’t mean to. I certainly didn’t start dinner Thursday night with such a thoroughly unhealthy intention. I didn’t even harbor much of an appetite and had no plans to blog about the meal. (Then again, when has lack of hunger ever prevented me from eating? Plus, it's so rare that I actually get any kind of hunger pangs!)

CabbageLover and I went to Mardi Gras Grill for boiled crawfish. (Boiled crawfish is one of my favorite things about living in Houston.) It was my third time at this joint. The first visit last year resulted in a lame, overpriced experience, when I mistakenly ordered a bland-tasting, unsatisfying entree of crab-stuffed shrimp. I remember leaving and thinking: I would’ve been so much happier with a Sourdough Jack or some Popeye’s Chicken. The second time I went, I was joined by a different crew, including LexingtonNative. We got a bunch of wonderfully seasoned crawfish and a few appetizers, among them LexingtonNative’s choice of fried pickle slices. Yum! She grew up eating the delicacy in Kentucky.

So this time, I knew what to get. CabbageLover and I started with a basket of pickles and two pounds of crawfish. We got two small red potatoes and two tiny pieces of corn on the cob with our crawfish. (I wish they’d give you more veggies, but I guess they don’t want you filling up on the cheap filler.) The pickles arrived first, with a mildly herbaceous buttermilk sauce (um, watery Ranch dressing, perhaps?). Wow! Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and not a bit oily – even better than last time! Instantly I knew these pickles would become my next food obsession. As we neared the end of our two pounds of crawfish, I proposed another pound. Then we eyed the empty pickle basket. We wanted more, but could we, in good conscience, continue this deep-fried mania?

Of course. We caved and asked for a half order. Well, Mardi Gras Grill does not do half orders, we learned, so we got a regular, full order. CabbageLover mumbled something about bringing the leftovers home, but we polished them off completely. I bet they are fantastic on a burger.

I am definitely going for fried pickles in Lexington!

t'afia

I don’t get around to many Happy Hours, but of the ones I do, t’afia’s definitely rules in my unwritten book. Fresh, fruity cocktails, at regular price but with free(!), quality bites.

My favorites on the can’t-miss menu:
- chickpea fries with curry ketchup
- pimento mac ‘n’ cheese
- rosemary biscotti with bleu cheese and honey.

I had a very girly, very refreshing Pom-tini (which included pomegranate, orange and grapefruit).

Sorry, no food/drink shots Wednesday; I'm a self-conscious photographer in darkened spaces, but working hard to shed that blog-hindering quality!

FuFu Cafe

CabbageLover and I grabbed a late dinner at FuFu Cafe at 9889 Bellaire on Friday. I was pining for xiao long bao and had heard it was on the menu.

CF first told me about xiao long bao years ago, but we could never find any in Houston. I finally had my first taste of it in 2005, at Joe’s Shanghai in New York City. I had just finished dim sum with two cousins and, as we left the restaurant, I realized we were just blocks from a location of the touristy chain. I suggested we go for its famous soup dumplings. My cousins – neither of them a regular dining partner of mine since we don’t live in the same city – thought I was crazy. Admittedly, we were all stuffed. But the sometimes-food-writer-in-me felt it was perfectly normal to visit one restaurant right after another (and another…). So they humored me and went along and we had a fun, delicious time eating too much.

My second taste was when CF and I went to Yank Sing in San Francisco in 2006. I was in town for a friend’s Berkeley wedding, but made sure I had a full day to devote to the foods of SF. It was just CF and me, but we got every piece of dim sum that appealed. I remember wishing we had ordered two portions of those dumplings; they were so good.

I knew not to get my hopes up for the xiao long bao in Houston. If they turned out to be decent enough for a quick fix, I would be happy.

They were. I do wish the dumpling wrappers had been thinner and as delicate as Yank Sing’s, but no complaints about the meat filling and savory broth inside.

CabbageLover and I also tried one of my favorite Chinese dishes, creamy honey walnut shrimp, along with pork lo mein and spicy Beijing noodles. The Beijing noodles were lacking in heat and too heavy on the peanut butter. At first glance, the roast pork and skinny egg noodles seemed utterly boring, but the broth was flavorful and the dish grew on us till the bowl was empty. The walnut shrimp were nicely cooked, but they were so heavily dressed in the mayonnaise-based sauce that I couldn’t truly enjoy the dish.

But back to my beloved dumplings. Next time I’m in L.A., I’m definitely trekking to Din Tai Fung. And you can bet that my trip to China later this year will be full of xiao long bao!

Pasha

It’s not every day I fantasize about pickled cabbage.

But that’s what I think about most when I recall my late lunch last year at Pasha, a quaint Turkish restaurant in Rice Village. I had ordered grilled baby lamb chops – good grill flavor, albeit overcooked – and ended up gobbling every last bit of the magenta side of shredded cabbage. As soon as I finished, I wanted more.

So I returned Tuesday, this time for dinner, with CabbageLover.

Our menu:
- hummus
- phyllo-wrapped feta rolls
- baby lamb chops with the cabbage, plus tomato, green bell pepper, red onion and rice
- Turkish pizza with Turkish sausage (spicy, not hot)

The calf's liver appetizer called out to me, but having had a poor liver dish a few months ago at the otherwise swell Mary'z, I couldn't justify ordering another liver dish with only one companion to share the potential artery-clogging misery. It is meant for a bigger group on a different day.

CabbageLover and I had just had Yia Yia Mary’s hummus Sunday, so we couldn’t help but compare the two versions. Pasha’s was nuttier and lacked a lemony bite. We preferred Yia Yia Mary's runnier dip, but both were good (it’s hard to go wrong with hummus, I say). I wonder: Was it a difference in restaurants or countries (or both)?

The cheese in the phyllo-feta rolls tasted more brie than feta to me. That salty kick was just not there and it had a funkiness that seemed odd for feta. Still, we ate all four pieces. Addictive? Absolutely.

The Turkish pizza arrived in the shape of a flattened football. The menu listed a “thick crust” and all I could think about – dread, really -- was if it’d be as thick as the greasy pan Pizza Hut pies of my youth. Thankfully, it was not. It was also sliced into thin strips v. wedges. I longed for some more spice and CabbageLover wanted herbs and feta sprinkled on top. The salty Turkish sausage reminded me of Spanish chorizo. It wasn't hard to grab another piece...and another after that.

I didn’t like my lamb as much this time, maybe ‘cause I specified medium-rare and the chops didn’t arrive very hot, as CabbageLover so thoughtfully noted. I loved the rice, though, which had taken on some of that great grill flavor from the lamb. So it looks like my ideal dish at Pasha is grilled lamb-flavored rice and pickled cabbage. Wonder how much that would cost?

I didn’t get as much cabbage this time, though, because I was with CabbageLover. I very graciously offered him more than half of the pickled side and, no surprise, he took it!

I will have to return without him.

(My once-fabulous camera was on the fritz again, so no food shots. Darn. I actually remembered to bring it this time, too.)

Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Malt Balls

These look good, right? They are. Milk chocolate and crunchy malt balls with a layer of peanut butter between the two. Only thing that would make them better would be switching out the milk chocolate for dark.

Trader Joe's: Are you listening?!

Azuma (downtown)

For lunch, SushiLover and I sauntered a block from the office to dine at the mildly trendy Azuma, a sushi and robata bar.

Our menu:
Rolls: Spicy Salmon, Spider, Unagi
Salads: Seaweed, Cucumber

I generally order the Red River miso soup here, a semi-fiery broth with shrimp, crab, fish, tofu and glass noodles. It’s big enough for two meals. But since I was with a recent convert to the delights of sushi -- who had not had sushi since Saturday and needed his fix -- we shared some rolls. It was a beautiful Houston day, perfect for dining al fresco.

SushiLover, by the way, is a food blogger’s ideal dining companion. He does not complain as you arrange and rearrange dishes to get decent shots. In fact, he helped set up a few.

Anyway, back to the fish. I’ve only had sushi at Azuma once – with SushiLover and another friend, though SushiLover did not even like sushi at the time -- and found it a bit lacking. The fish was too mushy then. Same thing happened again with my spicy salmon roll. The flavor? Fine, if not very spicy. That’s why I go the Red River route. (For lunchtime sushi, I usually head to Tropioca for a to-go tray from Cafe Japon.)

What pleased me this time at Azuma was the unagi. While trying to decide which eel roll to order, I asked the waiter about the difference between the freshwater unagi and saltwater anago. Fatty v. lean, he answered. The choice for my butter- and pate-loving palate was obvious! The unagi was rich and a tad sweet from the sauce; I would’ve been very happy eating that eel with a bowl of rice.

The rest of our food was pleasant but not memorable. More enjoyable was watching SushiLover pile on the wasabi and eventually drain half a bottle of soy sauce. He said he likes the way the wasabi hits your nose, then disappears…Like a hit of kerosene!

I had to ask: Um, have you ever had a hit of kerosene?

No, he replied.

Till our next food adventure.

By the way, my fav. Houston spot for sushi, particularly for a nice, simple piece of salmon sashimi -- and a free scoop of green tea ice cream(!) -- is the understated Osaka in Montrose.

St. Patrick's Day Cupcake from Sprinkles Bakery

A moment of worship for my favorite cupcake bakery's St. Patrick's Day creation: Dark chocolate cake with Baileys Original Irish Cream cheese frosting. (Slightly mushed in transit. Please pardon.)

Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream

I've been on a cupcake-and-ice-cream kick lately. OK, not lately. Just forever. So after churning a gorgeously rosy ice cream flavored with my favorite beer, Lindeman's Framboise, I Googled furiously for another recipe to try. This Vietnamese Coffee ice cream sounded promising. I skipped the sauce and nuts 'cause it seemed like overkill, I hate frying and hey, I was making this on a weeknight after work.

So after a trip to Hong Kong Market for Trung Nguyen coffee and a stroll down the bulk-bin aisles of Central Market (where I spend waaay too much money) for exactly 2 ounces of espresso-roast coffee beans, I was ready to start. The recipe worked well except I had to strain the espresso bean-infused mixture many more times than it said to, with both a sieve and several layers of cheese cloth. Perhaps I had just overzealously cracked my espresso beans with the roller. It was therapeutic and fun!


The result was lovely and -- not surprisingly -- very rich, with a distinct coffee flavor balanced by the creamy sweetness of the condensed milk. (Oh, how I love condensed milk! It's great drizzled on Maeda-En's not-too-sweet green tea ice cream.)

Vietnamese coffee ice cream:

2/3 cup (~ 2 ounces) espresso-roast coffee beans
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
one 14-ounce can condensed milk
1/2 cup brewed Trung Nguyen coffee
8 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Seal coffee beans in a Ziploc bag. Use a rolling pin to lightly crush beans (do not grind!).

In a large heavy saucepan, combine the crushed beans, milk, cream and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to just under a boil over medium heat.

Remove the pan from heat, cover and allow the mixture to infuse for 20 minutes. Strain the infusion through a cheese cloth-lined fine sieve into a large bowl. Rinse out the saucepan and return the milk-cream mixture to the saucepan. Add the brewed coffee. Bring to just under a boil over medium heat.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the yolks and salt until blended.

Whisking constantly, gradually add about half the hot milk-cream mixture to the yolks, then pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.

Immediately strain the custard through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool, stirring occasionally. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to develop.

Pour the chilled custard into the container of an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. Scrape ice cream into a freezer-safe container, cover and freeze.