Goat Milk Ice Cream!

I do like goats milk ice cream! I first tried it on Cape Clare Island, off West Cork, Southern Ireland about ten years ago. A blind Scotsman on the island was making it himself and selling it from his front garden in the summertime to boost his pension. It was absolutely delicious so good in fact that I asked him for the recipe. He was a bit reticent about handing it over and as he was blind, I wondered what use it was to him anyway = guess the old goat was cleverer than I had at first realised!

You will need:

3 cups goat’s milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 vanilla pods split and seeded
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar (split, 1/4 c. and 1/2 c.)

Put the goat’s milk, 1/4 cup of sugar, and the deseeded vanilla pods into a heavy bottomed pot. Slowly bring to a simmer, add whisk in the cream. Turn off the heat.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of sugar. Whisk a cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks and sugar. This will temper the eggs and help prevent them from curdling in the hot milk. Whisk in another cup and then pour that mixture back into the pot with the remainder of the milk mixture. Turn the heat back on medium-low and cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and strain though a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.

Cool thoroughly in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally until cold. This can be done the day before you want to make ice cream to ensure the mixture is ice cold before going into the ice cream machine. Enjoy.