Umami Bomb: Anchovy and Blue Cheese Ice Cream

1.Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water. Set aside a medium bowl nearby for tempering the yolks.

2.In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, and minced anchovies. Heat over medium heat until the mixture just begins to simmer around the edges. Remove from heat, cover, and let the anchovies infuse for 30 minutes.

3.Strain the cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, pressing down on the solids to extract all liquid. Discard the anchovy solids. Return the infused cream mixture to the saucepan.

4.In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale and slightly thickened.

5.Gently reheat the cream mixture over medium-low heat until warm but not boiling. Slowly ladle about 1 cup of the warm cream into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the yolks.

6.Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (reaching 170°F or 77°C). Do not allow it to boil.

7.Immediately remove the custard from the heat and strain it through the fine-mesh sieve into the bowl set over the ice bath. Stir in the crumbled blue cheese and vanilla extract until the cheese begins to melt into the custard.

8.Stir the custard frequently until it cools rapidly. Once cooled, cover the surface directly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

9.Churn the chilled custard base in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.

10.Transfer the soft ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for an additional 2 to 4 hours to firm up before serving.