Vanilla Plum Ice Cream

Vanilla plum ice cream from "La Grotta." Grant Cornett

Vanilla Plum Ice Cream

Plums have a dependable quality I like. Even unripe, unexciting ones—in fact, even those rock-hard purple tennis balls you get year-round at the supermarket. They undergo a kind of alchemy once they’re cooked and the tannic depths of flavor are drawn from their skins, becoming lusty and slurp-able. This makes them a very good choice for ice cream.

Next time you get a glut of wasp-eaten windfalls—or a netted plastic tub of plums from the supermarket—try making this inexpensive, sweet, and lovely ice cream.

• 1 pound plums (varieties like Victoria, Jubilee, Marjorie’s Seedling, and Quetsche d’Alsace are all good)
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 vanilla pod, split lengthwise
• 3 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

To prepare the ice cream: Cook the plums lightly. If using a microwave, halve and pit the plums and place them in a heatproof bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on high. Otherwise, simmer them gently in a non-reactive pan just until they are tender, pulpy, and piping hot (do not boil). Set aside to cool; once cold, cover and chill in the fridge.