Nutmeg Ice Cream

About This Recipe

Grenada produces nearly a third of the world's nutmeg and the spice permeates the island's cuisine and culture — even appearing on the national flag. Nutmeg ice cream is the island's signature dessert, found at roadside stalls, beach bars, and fine restaurants alike. Freshly grated nutmeg stirred into a rich custard base gives the ice cream a warmly spiced, faintly floral quality unlike any store-bought variety.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 500 mlfull-fat cream
• 200 mlwhole milk
• 4egg yolks
• 150 gcaster sugar
• 2 tspfreshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tspvanilla extract

Instructions

1. 1

   Make custard base

   Whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale. Heat cream and milk to just below simmering, then slowly pour over yolks while whisking.

2. 2

   Cook custard

   Return mixture to the pan and stir over low heat until it coats the back of a spoon, about 8–10 minutes. Do not boil.

3. 3

   Add spice and chill

   Remove from heat. Stir in nutmeg and vanilla. Strain through a fine sieve and chill completely in the fridge, at least 4 hours.

4. 4

   Churn and freeze

   Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions, then transfer to a freezer container and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.

Variations

• •

  Add a splash of rum to the custard for rum-nutmeg ice cream.

• •

  Swirl in mango purée before the final freeze.

• •

  Infuse the cream with a whole cinnamon stick for extra spice depth.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Freeze up to 2 weeks. Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent ice crystals.

Frequently Asked Questions