Black Pepper Ice Cream

with chilled melon in lime syrup and cracked pink peppers

Black Pepper Ice Cream
from THE PERFECT SCOOP by David Lebovitz, page 102

Makes 2 cups
½ cup whole milk
1/3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
pinch of salt
1 cup heavy cream
3 large egg yolks

• Warm the milk, sugar, salt and ½ cup of the cream in a medium saucepan. Cover, remove from heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Rewarm the peppercorn-infused mixture. Pour the remaining ½ cup cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer, pressing the peppercorns gently to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard the peppercorns and stir the custard into the cream. Stir until cool over an ice bath.
• Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

This flavor, David says is spicy and lively. Cibo Matto's White Pepper Ice Cream lyrics describe it best. I agree, it's refreshingly different and I like it. Try it also with thick fries, you'll be surprised they go perfectly wonderful together, sweet and peppery, salty and crunchy.
a few lines from White Pepper Ice Cream song:

White pepper ice cream
Sweet or spicy?
White pepper ice cream
Ça m'est égal
Ça m'est égal

What is the first word?
Sweet or spicy
Ça m'est égal
Ça m'est égal
It's all the same to me

I was shot with bullets of pepper
On my lips
I feel a nip