Honey Lavender Ice Cream

This is more or less the Chez Panisse recipe, from A Platter of Figs.

In the double boiler, heat

• 2 cups milk
• 3 or 4 sprigs dried lavender
• 1/8 tsp salt (or just a tiny pinch)

and let steep five to ten minutes. Meanwhile, whisk

• 6 egg yolks (save the whites for something else)
• 1 cup honey

until smooth. Remove the lavender from the milk, and whisk the milk into the honey, one spoonful at a time, to temper the eggs. When you have whisked about half the milk into the eggs, you can pour everything back into the double boiler. Cook, whisking, about 5 minutes. Then refrigerate the mixture until cool, about an hour. Add

• 1 cup cream

and process in the ice cream machine.