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Questions for David Lebovitz: Best Advice for First-Time Ice Cream Chefs?

We're big fans of David Lebovitz here at The Kitchn. We toured his Paris kitchen earlier this year, and just last week we gave away several copies of his fabulous ice cream cookbook, The Perfect Scoop. He also graciously agreed to answer several questions for us - on all things ice cream, of course! Our first question was simple: what advice would you give to a first-time ice cream chef?

Here's David's response. He says:

My advice to the first time ice cream chef is to make a Philadelphia-style ice cream - which is an ice cream without a custard base. Making a custard isn't all that difficult, but like driving a car, it takes a few turns around the block before you get comfortable. (But not to fear; it's a lot less-dangerous!)

I'm a big fan of adding sour cream to Philadelphia-style ice cream bases, especially fruit ice creams, since the tangy flavor compliments ripe fruit so perfectly. And the thickening agents in sour cream help give the churned ice cream a smoother, more luscious texture. I check the ingredients and use a brand with no artificial additives.

Does anyone have any favorite non-cooked ice cream recipes? We love the idea of adding sour cream; we've never tried that before! Thanks David!

(Images: Kristin Hohenadel)

Comments (3)

Interesting - I was on vacation for most of the ice cream contest, so I didn't get a chance to make any attempts, but I told my husband sometime last week that if I were to have experimented, I would've made a sour cream ice cream base with cherries and pistachio praline. Now that I know that there's merit to a sour cream base, I am feeling extra motivated to try it out!

posted by mabills on 2008-08-20 23:25:17
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The coconut ice cream base I submitted for my best lick entry is a non-cook ice cream, and honestly I usually just make and eat it sans accoutrements.

Here's another delicious no-cook recipe that can be used for any fruit ice cream, I've substituted sour cream for the Crème Fraîche with equally delicious results:

Strawberry Crème Fraîche Ice Cream

2 cups strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
1 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup crème fraîche
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
a pinch of salt

1. Place the strawberries and both sugars in the food processor. Process until the strawberries are puréed.
2. Place the purée in a bowl. Add the cream, crème fraîche, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Mix well.
3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4. Freeze the ice cream according to the instructions