Finish off Skye Gyngell's fabulous sunday lunch menu with a simple pudding. This recipe was taken taken from Skye Gyngell's How I Cook .
"This simple custard-based ice cream had a wonderfully rich, caramel flavour and a soft, silky texture. Pedro Ximénez is a luxurious, complex and sticky variety of sherry, tasting of dried fruit - raisins, prunes and dates, with which it is paired with here. "
"It's never worth making ice cream in small quantities, so I've given a recipe that will provide enough for two meals for four. Eat within a couple of days of making."
Jason Lowe
Serves 8
Ingredients:
450ml double cream
150ml whole milk
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
6 organic free-range large egg yolks
120g caster sugar
120g good-quality dates. such as Medjool
100ml Pedro Ximénez sherry
Method:
1. Pour the cream and milk into a heavy-based saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and add them to the creamy milk with the empty pod. Place over a low heat and gently bring to just below the boil.
2. Take off the heat and set aside to infuse for 15–20 minutes. Take out the vanilla pod.
3. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl, using a whisk, until pale and thick. Gently reheat the creamy milk and pour slowly onto the whisked egg yolk mixture, stirring with the whisk as you do so.
4. Return the custard to the clean saucepan and place over the lowest possible heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir gently in a figure-of-eight motion until the custard thickens - this will take up to 10 minutes.
5. The custard is ready when it is thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon. At this point immediately remove from the heat and strain the custard through a fine sieve into a cold bowl. Leave to cool completely.
6. Meanwhile, stone the dates and chop the flesh as finely as possible; place in a bowl. Warm the sherry very slightly in a pan and then pour over the chopped fruit. Set aside to macerate.
7. Once the custard is completely cool, pour into an ice-cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the ice cream begins to set, add the date and sherry mixture and continue to churn for another 10 minutes.
8.Transfer the ice cream to a freezerproof container and place in the freezer until needed. Scoop into pretty glass dishes to serve.
When cooking a custard you need to use a gentle heat and be patient - don't be tempted to turn up the heat in order to cook it more quickly as you could easily end up with a scrambled mess.
To test whether the custard is sufficiently cooked, check that it is thick enough to lightly coat the wooden spoon, then turn the spoon over and draw a line from one end to the other with your finger. If the custard doesn't run back in and fill the channel you've created, then the custard is ready.
How to create Skye's menu at home
These recipes were taken from Skye Gyngell's How I Cookwhich is published by Quadrille.