Balsamic Ice Cream with Fresh Cherry Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 pint whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 pound fresh cherries
• pitted and halved
• 1/4 cup Cakebread Cellars Syrah or other red wine
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

1. For the ice cream: Put the vinegar in a small nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer and reduce to 1/4 cup, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Transfer to a bowl and chill in an ice bath.
4. In a small saucepan, combine the milk and sugar.
5. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape the seeds into the saucepan, then add the pod as well.
6. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
7. Stir in the cream, transfer to a bowl, and chill in an ice bath.
8. Strain to remove the vanilla pod.
9. Whisk in the chilled balsamic vinegar reduction.
10. Churn in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.
11. Transfer to a freezer container and freeze for at least 1 hour, or until the ice cream is firm enough to scoop.
12. For the cherry sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine the cherries, wine, vanilla bean, and sugar.
13. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring, and cook until the alcohol evaporates and the cherries release some of their juice, about 5 minutes.
14. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
15. Remove the vanilla bean.
16. In a blender, puree half of the mixture and stir it back into the bowl.
17. Add lemon juice to taste.
18. Chill.
19. To serve, divide the ice cream among 8 compote dishes.
20. Spoon cherry sauce over the ice cream and serve immediately.