Recipe: Coconut Ice Cream with Shiso Sugar

The best, and perhaps only, reason to ask: “What’s this green stuff on my ice cream?”

Shiso, a Japanese herb similar to mint, is an unlikely, but perfectly suited pairing to rich coconut ice cream. Muddling the leaves with sugar creates bright green, sweet-herbal granules perfect for sprinkling atop creamy, slightly-nutty coconut ice cream…or licking straight off the spoon.

Toasted Coconut Ice Cream with Shiso Sugar
Makes 1 quart

2 cups flaked unsweetened coconut
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 generous pinch kosher salt
7 egg yolks
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

6 shiso leaves*
¼ cup granulated sugar

To make the ice cream:
Spread unsweetened shredded coconut on a sheet pan and toast in a 350 F oven for about 6 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned. Cool completely.

Combine milk, 1 ½ cups heavy cream, salt, 1 cup sugar and toasted coconut in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to just a boil. Turn off heat and allow mixture to steep for at least 1 hour.

Whisk together yolks with remaining ¼ cup sugar. Rewarm milk/coconut mixture and gradually pour milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly, to bring yolks up to temperature. Return yolk/milk mixture to saucepan and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens and when you swipe your finger across the back of the spoon the line stays.

Remove from heat and strain into a large bowl over the remaining ½ cup heavy cream and vanilla. Cool completely over an ice bath and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight. Process in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturers directions.

To make the Shiso Sugar:
Mash together leaves and sugar either in a bowl with a muddle or in a food processor until the shiso is completely integrated into the sugar.

To serve: scoop ice cream, garnish with shiso sugar and leftover toasted coconut.

Toasted Coconut Ice Cream adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop

Related: Seasonal Spotlight: Shiso