Nigel Slater’s recipe for basil yoghurt ice

This just might be my favourite summer ice-cream, or, more accurately, frozen yoghurt. Its soft herbal notes and pale green colour are the essence of summer. Make it in an ice-cream machine if you can (the texture will more soft and creamy), but you can make it without, too. Simply pour the blended mixture into a plastic freezer-box and place it in the freezer for about four hours, stirring the frozen edges into the middle every hour or so. I have served this with marinated strawberries, as the berries love the peppery notes of the herb, but it’s good on its own too. 

Basil yoghurt ice

Serves 6. By machine 1 hour; by hand 4 hours.

caster sugar 200g

basil leaves 50g

water 250ml

lemon juice 2 tbsp

natural yoghurt 500ml

For the strawberries:

strawberries 250g

juice of a small lemon

sugar 1 tbsp

Put the sugar into the bowl of a food processor and add half of the basil. Process until the sugar turns bright green. Transfer the herb sugar to a small, deep pan, pour in the water and warm it over a moderate heat until the sugar dissolves.

Remove the basil syrup from the heat. Cool the syrup quickly, speeding matters up if you wish by pouring the syrup into a bowl and stirring it over ice. When the mixture is cool, tip the lemon juice and yoghurt into a blender, add the reserved basil leaves and process until smooth and pale green. Stir into the basil syrup and combine thoroughly. Transfer to a shallow, plastic freezer box and freeze for 4 hours or overnight.

For the marinated strawberries: cut the strawberries in half and put them in a small bowl. Squeeze over the juice of the lemon and sprinkle with sugar and set aside for 30 minutes. Serve with the basil ice.