Pear-Pecorino Ice Cream

Name: Pear-Pecorino Ice Cream
Yield: makes about 1 quart (1 liter)
Ingredients: 3 ripe pears, such as Bartlett or Comice, peeled and cored; 1/3 cup (80 ml) water; 4 ounces (115 g) pecorino cheese; 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream; 1 cup (250 ml) half-and-half; 2/3 cup (130 g) sugar; 3 large egg yolks; 1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

December 9, 2011

When friends found out I was writing a book on ice cream, many felt compelled to “help out” by passing along really odd flavor combinations they’d either seen or heard of. But somehow, I just couldn’t seem to get enthusiastic about combinations like Clam-Raisin or Duck Fat Swirl. However, when Judy Witts raved about this combination, which she’d enjoyed at her local gelateria in Florence, it piqued my interest. After a bit of trial and error, I discovered that the key to preserving the character of pecorino is to very finely dice the cheese rather than grating it. The little bites of salty cheese are the perfect counterpoint to the fruity, pear-flavored custard.

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