Violet Ice

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Digital scale
• •1 litre nonreactive saucepan with lid
• •Fine-mesh sieve and heatproof bowl
• •Ice-cream maker, or shallow 20 cm metal pan and fork
• •Optional syrup hydrometer or refractometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the violets

   Remove every green calyx and stem, discard bruised petals, and weigh the petals only after cleaning. Don't wash them unless they are gritty; if washing is necessary, swish them once in cold water and dry them thoroughly between clean towels. Water left among the petals weakens both the perfume and the syrup. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a heatproof bowl before you begin, because the infusion will not wait for you.

   Use only fragrant culinary violets grown without sprays. Florist flowers and unidentified garden violets don't belong in the pot.
2. 2

   Boil the syrup

   Combine the sugar and water in a 1 litre nonreactive saucepan. Stir over medium heat only until the sugar dissolves, then bring the clear syrup to a full boil and let it bubble for twenty seconds. Don't reduce it further, or its density rises beyond the balance the finished ice needs. If crystals gather around the pan, cover it for thirty seconds so condensation washes them down. Ça se rattrape.

3. 3

   Infuse exactly ten minutes

   Take the pan off the heat and immediately fold all the violet petals into the boiling syrup, pressing them just beneath the surface. Cover the pan and start a timer at once. Infuse for exactly ten minutes without reheating. Less time leaves the perfume timid; more draws out a grassy, dull taste. If the clock slips slightly, strain without pressing and cool the liquid at once, which can soften a faint green edge. A plainly bitter infusion must be remade.

4. 4

   Strain and cool

   At ten minutes, pour the entire infusion through the prepared sieve. Let it drain for two minutes, then press the petals once, lightly, with the back of a spoon. Don't wring them. Set the bowl over ice and stir occasionally until the infusion reaches room temperature. It may look blue-lilac at this point, and that is exactly right.

5. 5

   Finish with lemon

   Stir the measured lemon juice into the cooled infusion. The acidity sharpens the perfume and shifts the natural violet pigment toward mauve or rose-lilac. At room temperature, the finished base should measure 20° to 21° Baumé, about 37° to 39° Brix. The prescribed weights are the home equivalent when no pèse-sirop is available. If a meter reads above 21° because the syrup boiled too long, correct it with cold water one teaspoon at a time.

6. 6

   Chill and churn

   Cover and chill the base thoroughly for at least two hours, then churn it in an ice-cream maker until it holds soft ridges and looks fine-grained, usually twenty to twenty-five minutes. Without a machine, pour it into a shallow metal pan and freeze it, scraping and beating every thirty minutes until evenly frozen. The hand-frozen Glace aux Violettes will be slightly coarser, but it keeps the dish's intent honestly.

7. 7

   Set and serve

   Transfer the churned ice to a shallow covered container, press parchment directly against the surface, and freeze for about two hours to firm. Let it stand for five minutes before scooping into chilled coupes. If it freezes hard with large crystals, soften it in the refrigerator until slushy and churn it again; the texture can be rescued. Serve two small, generous scoops per person. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Call a culinary flower grower and ask specifically for fragrant, unsprayed Viola odorata. This dish truly needs the fresh flower in season; candied violets and violet extract are cousins, not substitutes for the ten-minute infusion.
• •The quantity looks extravagant because the source was written for professional service. This half batch still uses 4 ounces of cleaned petals, and cutting that amount while keeping the syrup unchanged produces sweet lemon ice with only a violet suggestion.
• •Trust the weight for the petals because their volume changes enormously with size and packing. The 10 to 12 cup measure is only a shopping guide; 113 grams after the green parts are removed governs the recipe.
• •Natural colour varies from grey-lilac to soft rose depending on the flowers and water. Don't correct it with colouring. Serve the ice in chilled coupes, perhaps with a plain langue de chat and a small glass of demi-sec Champagne.

Advance Preparation

• •Freeze the ice-cream maker bowl according to its manufacturer's instructions, commonly for a full day, before making the base.
• •The strained, lemon-finished base can be refrigerated for up to one day before churning. Keep it tightly covered so the delicate perfume doesn't fade into the refrigerator.
• •The finished ice is most fragrant within three days. Store it with parchment pressed directly against the surface, then soften it briefly before scooping.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 120g)