Recipe: Ice Cream with Chios Mastic Gum

In short: mastic ice cream is a Greek summer classic — a creamy custard with the resinous-sweet aroma of Chios mastic. Here's an easy homemade recipe; all you need is a little mastic and the crushing trick below.

Love ice cream and trying new flavours? You won't find mastic ice cream at your local shop (unless you live on Chios), so here's how to make it at home.

What you'll need — and where to get mastic

Pick up the everyday ingredients at your local store, and the mastic in our e-shop — small mastic crystals are perfect for recipes.

Tip: put the mastic crystals in the freezer for 30 minutes before crushing — it's much easier afterwards. More on crushing mastic.

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon mastic gum crystals
• 1/2 cup sugar (preferably vanilla)
• 1 cup whipping cream (30%)
• 1 cup milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon mastic liqueur (optional)

How to make it

1. Crush the mastic crystals with the sugar in a mortar.
2. In a saucepan, bring the milk and sugar to the boil with the mastic, and boil for about 5 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to low.
4. Beat the egg yolks until frothy and stir them into the cream together with the mastic liqueur.
5. Cook on low until the cream thickens.
6. If the mixture isn't quite smooth, pass it through a fine sieve.
7. Cool it in the fridge.
8. Freeze in a chilled container (or churn in an ice-cream maker).

Serving

Serve straight from the freezer, with your favourite fruit.

FAQ

Mastic is the one ingredient you won't find at the supermarket — grab a few small crystals and make summer at home.