Oil doesn’t hit you over the head in this ice cream—that’s the rosemary’s job. Its alpine punch recedes as the ice cream melts on the tongue, giving way to the sweet, resinous honey. The olive oil glides across the finish, smooth and ethereal. It also lightens the texture as something of a respite from all the cream, making for an easily scoopable ice cream that melts effortlessly in your mouth.
If serving on its own, drizzle on some more olive oil and sea salt for a Mediterranean sundae. I used it to round off slices of generously spiced honey cake, but I’m itching to try it with baklava, another Astoria specialty. But what kind of baklava?, the Astorian may ask. You’re on your own there—I’m keeping out of that fight.
Max Falkowitz writes Serious Eats’ weekly Spice Hunting column. He’s a proud native of Queens, New York, will do just about anything for a good cup of tea, and enjoys long walks down the aisles of Chinese groceries.
