Recipe of the week: Savannah-style ice cream from Bobby Flay

Savannah is Bobby Flay’s favorite getaway city, say Matt Lee and Ted Lee in Food & Wine. The New York chef, proprietor of Mesa Grill and other Manhattan restaurants, first visited the city during the taping of his Food Network show Food Nation. During a recent revisit, he

toured Savannah’s restaurants, “both new and classic, that he hoped would inspire recipes for Bar Americain,” his regional-American brasserie in New York. Here is one that he particularly prized:

Recipe of the week

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Blackberry Corn Cakes

With Peach-Maple Ice Cream

1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 ears of corn, kernels removed, cobs reserved

1-1/2 cups milk

2 large eggs, separated

5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for griddle

1 pint blackberries, halved lengthwise

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In large bowl, whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, granulated sugar, salt. Working over blender, use table knife to scrape milky liquid from corncobs. Add half of corn kernels, milk, egg yolks to blender, purée until smooth. Whisk corn purée into dry

ingredients. Fold in melted butter and remaining kernels.

Using electric mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold beaten whites into batter, then carefully fold in blackberries.

Heat large griddle, brush lightly with butter. For each cake, pour scant 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle, cook over moderate heat until small bubbles appear on surface. Flip corn cakes, cook until golden. Transfer cakes to baking sheet; keep warm in oven while you prepare the rest.

Stack 4 or 5 corn cakes on each plate, dust with confectioners’ sugar. Top each stack with a scoop of peach-maple ice cream, serve immediately.

Peach-Maple Ice Cream

3/4 pound ripe peaches

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped

2 large egg yolks

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 tbsp bourbon, or more to taste

Bring small pot of water to boil. Fill medium bowl with ice water. Cut shallow X in bottom of each peach, plunge them into boiling water for 30 seconds. Transfer peaches to ice water. Peel peaches, cut into

1/2-inch wedges; reserve peach skins and pits. Transfer peaches to bowl, toss with lemon juice. Cover peaches and refrigerate.

In medium saucepan, combine cream and milk. Add vanilla bean, seeds, peach skins, pits, bring to simmer. Cover, remove from heat. Let steep for 20 minutes. Strain infused cream into bowl.

In medium bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar and salt. Whisk in half of infused cream, transfer mixture to saucepan, along with remaining cream. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until slightly thickened and instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees, about 5 minutes. Immediately strain custard into clean bowl, stir in maple syrup and bourbon. Refrigerate custard until chilled, about 30 minutes.

In blender, purée peaches with 1 cup of custard until smooth. Transfer puréed peaches and remaining custard to ice cream maker, freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer ice cream to plastic container. Press sheet of plastic wrap directly onto surface, freeze until

firm, about 1 hour.