Gelato di zafferano: saffron ice cream

A couple of things up front: this recipe is a direct steal from a book by David Lebovitz, called "The Perfect Scoop," which I am told is now out of print. David has a more recent book and, if memory serves me right, this recipe is not in there.

Second, I want to dedicate this one to my friend and chef, Patti Jackson. I remember our first meeting Patti, do you? It was over the first rhubarb of the season at Union Square . It was, as Bogie said "the start of a beautiful friendship." I love your restaurant, I love your food, I love you, girl. And if anyone can take this basic recipe and make it better, it is YOU.

I approached it with a sense of "Hmmmm." Normally, this is not the kind of ice cream that I make. It's rather an unusual idea, if you think in a Western context, but if you step out of the box, it is not. In fact, it is downright "correct."

There isn't much to say about this: I tried it, it's terrific. And it seems to make a very good semifreddo too, as I shall explain. My variation to come, I shall explain below.

So, here's what you need. Two cups of cream and one of milk. A cup of sugar. Six egg yolks. And a teaspoon of saffron. that is all.

That teaspoon of saffron makes this an ice cream that may seem a bit on the expensive side. I think a teaspoon of good saffron is probably going to cost you about 12 bucks. Do it anyway. AND DO NOT SKIMP.

You start by mixing everything but the egg yolks together. Over medium heat, bring this just to the point where the edges bubble, and then take it off the heat and let it chill and steep, for 3-4 hours.

After that, dump the stuff back into a pot and add the six egg yolks. Turn the heat to medium and cook, until you get a custard (read some of my other ice cream recipes and it will be clear how you do this). Then chill it. Annalena was a bit in a hurry today, so she chilled it in the freezer for two hours. There was more than a quart. The excess went into a small container and it sort of froze to a solid. I accidentally ate two spoons of it on the way to the ice cream maker, and it sure was good.

So, process it the same way you make ice cream of any kind. You'll get this ice cream with an incredibly GORGEOUS yellow orange color and a flavor that is "right." Talking about the dessert with Indian friends, the reaction was "I thought you told me you were making something unusual."

See what I mean about odd, and not odd?

What I would like to do next, is incorporate some overcooked carnaroli rice into it. I love rice ice creams, and somewhow, the thought of eating what is essentially a frozen, risotto pudding is very appealing.

Patti, got any ideas? Hope I get to taste them.