This year my fig tree is laden with fruit which are very slow to ripen. I think it is the rain that’s slowing everything down.

My friend Felix from ‘Bei Amici Restaurant’ makes the most fantastic fig leaf ice cream, with fresh and caramelised figs served on top of the ice cream. I really wanted to try making it. I started with caramelising the slightly unripe figs….. a very long process but well worth it at the end.

• 1 kg caster sugar
• 1 litre water
• peel of 1 organic lemon
• 15 cardamon pods
• 30 slightly unripe figs

• gently bring the water, figs, sugar, cardamon pods and lemon peel to a boil
• simmer for 1 hour
• then let cool and gently boil again in the evening
• do this morning and evening for 3-4 days until figs are caramelised

The star of this dish however was the ice cream. The scent of figs has powerful associations for me. It  reminds me of  summer  holidays in Sardegna. We used to go to a local bar for coffee or aperitivi and sit in the shade of an old spreading fig surrounded by this aroma of summer.

• for 1.200 l of ice ream

• 1 litre full cream milk
• 200 ml whole cream
• 150 gr caster sugar
• 4 organic egg yolks
• 8 fresh, young fig leaves
• a pinch of salt
• add the cream and milk to a medium sauce pan
• cut the fig leaves with scissors make sure all the sap goes into the pan

• add half the sugar and the pinch of salt
• bring gently to the boil, stirring from time to time
• cook for about 10 minuets, make sure the milk does not boil over
• remove from heat and let it cool for a few hours or better over night
• take the leaves out, squeezing them strongly to release all the flavour
• beat the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar
• add the milk mixture and over gentle heat let it lightly thicken
• let cool and if you have an ice cream machine. churn

• my ice cream looks so yellow because of the colour of my eggs!!!