You can use basic green tea for this recipe, but why not try one of the fragrant variations now available? Serve with seasonal fruit or Melon and Orange Salad (see website for this recipe).

Ingredients

• 1 cup standard milk
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• 2 tblsp Japanese green tea leaves or 8 green tea bags
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup cream
• 1-2 drops green food colouring
• ¼ cup chopped glace citron

Method

1. Heat the milk and sugar until almost boiling; sprinkle with green tea or add teabags, stir and allow to cool. Chill for 2-3 hours or until the milk has become well-flavoured with the tea. Strain through a fine sieve or remove teabags.
2. Heat flavoured milk until scalding point in a heavy-based saucepan. Lightly whisk egg yolks until smooth and creamy. Carefully pour hot milk onto the egg yolks, whisking quickly to ensure the eggs do not scramble.
3. Return custard to the saucepan and heat gently, stirring continuously, until custard coats the back of a wooden spoon. Do not allow the custard to boil as it will scramble. Remove from the heat, stir in cream and the food colouring, Cover and chill.
4. Churn in an ice cream maker, following the manufacturer's instructions. Add the chopped citron in the final stages of churning. Alternatively, freeze in a shallow plastic container until slushy then beat well with a wire whisk. Return to the freezer. Repeat the process after about 3 hours, adding the citron at the end. Freeze until ready to use.
5. To serve, partially soften ice cream in refrigerator for about 30 minutes before scooping into portions.

Cooks Tips

- Glace citron is available from selected delicatessens or see www.sabato.co.nz for more details. - The citron can be omitted or in its place try finely chopped glace pear.