Like a breeze from Provence

AT Bastide in West Hollywood, chef Alain Giraud pays tribute to Provence with a menu and a restaurant thoroughly in the spirit of his native region. He conjures up the fragrant lavender fields of Provence in his signature dessert, a vacherin glace. It looks like a fabulous albino porcupine: a mound of the seductively perfumed lavender ice cream heaped with softly whipped cream and embellished with fragile teardrop-shaped meringues and little spears of ruby strawberries.

As if that’s not enough, he lays on a crimson lake of raspberry coulis. To make the heady ice cream, Giraud steeps dried buds of imported lavender and vanilla bean in heavy cream. Alternate bites of this incredibly smooth ice cream with the tender powdery meringues and the bright slashes of berry. Altogether dreamy.

(To get the same intense lavender flavor, it’s important to use edible lavender -- the kind you buy at specialty food shops, not florists -- and preferably from Provence, where the climate gives it a particularly deep flavor. When making the meringues, why haul out the mixer to whip up a few egg whites? It’s incredibly easy to accomplish with a balloon whisk. Just make sure the bowl is absolutely clean and dry.)

Bastide, 8475 Melrose Place, Los Angeles, (323) 651-5950

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Vacherin glace with lavender ice cream

Total time: 3 hours

Servings: 8

Note: Dried lavender is found at specialty stores and farmers markets.

Ice cream

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out

3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons dried lavender

4 egg yolks

1. Bring the milk, cream, vanilla and half of the sugar to boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the lavender, turn off the heat and infuse for 1 minute.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the yolks and remaining sugar. Prepare a bowl of ice water; set an empty bowl on top of the ice water and place a strainer on top of the empty bowl.

3. Whisk about one-fourth of the milk-cream mixture into the yolk mixture, being careful not to cook or scramble the eggs. Bring the milk-cream mixture back to a boil and stir in the tempered yolk mixture. Cook, mixing continuously with a wooden spoon, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon, about 3 minutes. Strain the mixture into the empty bowl and chill about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

4. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. (Makes about 2 1/2 cups.)

Meringue drops

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 egg whites

1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2. Combine the sugar and egg whites in the top of a double boiler set over, but not touching, simmering water and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch, about 5 minutes.

3. Place the mixture in an electric mixer and beat on high speed until stiff, but not dry, peaks form, 5 to 6 minutes. Place the mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a medium-size round tip. Pipe 1-inch teardrops onto the baking sheet; you should have about 50.

4. Bake the meringues until hard but without color, about 3 hours. Let cool, then store the drops in an airtight container.

Assembly

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 1/2 cups raspberries

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 strawberries, quartered, for garnish

Lavender sprigs, for garnish

1. Beat the cream and powdered sugar together until medium-stiff peaks form. Place in a pastry bag with a star tip.

2. Blend the raspberries, granulated sugar and lemon juice on high speed until smooth. Strain. Taste and add more sugar or lemon juice, if needed.

3. Place a scoop of lavender ice cream on each of 8 plates. Pipe the whipping cream entirely over each scoop to form a dome. Place the strawberries on top, alternating the strawberries with the meringue drops. Make a rim of raspberry coulis around the dome. Garnish with lavender sprigs. Serve immediately.

Each serving: 330 calories; 50 mg. sodium; 115 mg. cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 53 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 2.62 grams fiber.