Homemade Pistachio Ice Cream Without an Ice Cream Maker

👨‍🍳 Method

1. 1
   Grind the pistachios in a food processor to a coarse paste, and set aside.

   ⚙ Grinding in a Food ProcessorFood processor

   💡In a food processor, grind in short pulses and check between pulses: it's easy to go from coarse to paste. (Sesame for tahini, on the other hand, is ground continuously.)
2. 2
   Heat the milk and cream in a pot over medium heat, until just below a boil.

   StoveSmall saucepan
3. 3
   In a bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar and salt until smooth.

   Bowl
4. 4
   Pour the hot milk in a thin stream, about a third of it first, into the mixture of egg yolks, whisking constantly.

   ⚙ Tempering eggsWhisk

   💡The hot liquid goes into the eggs slowly while whisking, and only about a third of it in the first batch: that way they warm gradually and don't turn into scrambled eggs.
5. 5
   Return everything to the pot and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Don't let it boil.

   StoveSmall saucepanWooden spoon

   💡Take it off the heat the moment the custard coats the back of the spoon (a line drawn with your finger stays sharp): a few more minutes on the heat and the yolks curdle into lumps. Straining removes whatever curdled anyway.
6. 6
   Strain, add the pistachios and vanilla, stir and chill completely in the fridge.

   Fine sieveRefrigerator
7. 7
   Pour into a loaf pan and freeze at least 6 hours, and for the first three hours stir once an hour, to break up the ice crystals.

   Loaf panFreezer
8. 8
   Take the ice cream out of the freezer 15 minutes before serving, so it softens a little.