A brilliant white milk ice cream with a chewy texture made with sahlab (called salep in Turkey), the ground-up root tuber of a member of the orchid family, is very difficult to make successfully at home, so here is a modern version that I also love. It is without sahlab, so not chewy, but the traditional flavorings of mastic and rose water give it a special appeal. You should pound, then grind the tiny lumps of gum mastic (see page 6) with a teaspoon of sugar to a fine powder with a pestle and mortar (or use a spice grinder). Use very little as otherwise the taste can be quite unpleasant.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　4 egg yolks

　　1/2 cup sugar

　　1 1/4 cups light cream

　　1 to 2 tablespoons rose water, to taste

　　1/4 teaspoon pulverized gum mastic

　　1 1/4 cups heavy cream

　　

Step 1

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar to a thick, pale cream in a bowl. Bring the light cream to the boil and gradually pour over the yolk mixture, beating all the time.

　　

Step 2

Put the bowl in a pan of boiling water or in the top part of a double boiler, and stir constantly until the mixture thickens into a custard. Add the rose water, take it off the heat, and sprinkle the gum mastic over the whole surface (if it falls in one place it sticks together in a lump) and stir it in vigorously. Let cool.

　　

Step 3

Beat the heavy cream until firm and fold this into the cooled custard.

　　

Step 4

Pour the mixture into a mold lined with plastic wrap and cover with more plastic wrap. Freeze overnight. Take out of the freezer 5 to 10 minutes before serving, remove the plastic wrap, and turn the ice cream out of its mold.

　　Arabesque