Ginger and Honey Ice Cream

One of my favourite ice creams. As with all my ice cream recipes, there is no need for an ice cream maker.

1. 1

   Slice the ginger (skin on, approx. 5mm thick), then blanch in a pan of boiling water for 2 minutes and drain well. Put the milk and cream in a large saucepan with the blanched ginger and place over a medium heat until hot, but just before it boils (when small bubbles start to appear). Turn off the heat, cover with a lid or plate and leave for an hour to an hour and a half to infuse the milk and cream with the ginger flavour.
   Pour the infused milk and cream through a sieve and discard the ginger.
   Reheat the ginger cream, again until small bubbles start to appear. Meanwhile, beat together the egg yolks, sugar and honey until pale and creamy. Slowly pour the hot cream over the whisked yolks, sugar and honey, while whisking, then return to the pan and place over a low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the custard thickens and it leaves a clean mark when you coat the back of the spoon and drag your finger through it (this will probably take about 10 minutes).
   Pour the hot custard though a sieve into a jug, then pour it into a freezer-proof box with a lid (approx. 750 ml min.). Cover the surface with clingfilm to prevent a skin from forming. Leave to cool. Once completely cool (1 ½ - 2 hours), remove the clingfilm, put the lid on the box and freeze for at least 4 hours, until hard.
   Remove the ice cream from the freezer. Turn it out of the box, cut it into chunks with a sharp knife and put them in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. (To help it out, pour hot water of the bottom of the box for a few seconds – it should then slip out, if not, ease around the sides with a knife. If it is rock solid and impossible to cut, leave it to soften for a few minutes). Blitz in the food processor for 5-10 minutes until smooth and creamy. Spoon back into the box, cover and freeze again until hard, then repeat this process twice more. It can be left overnight between blitzing if needed. Once smooth after the final blitz, roughly chop the crystallised ginger chunks and fold in (or blitz again for a few seconds) before returning to the freezer.