Gooseberry Ice Cream Food

GOOSEBERRY ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Place 1lb of gooseberries, ½ cup of water and 1 cup of sugar (or to taste) in a saucepan and simmer for approximately ten minutes.
• In a separate saucepan, make the custard by heating 1 ½ cups of milk and ¼ cup of sugar.
• Bring to boiling point and remove from the heat.
• In a heatproof bowl, whip up 3 egg yolks with a further ¼ cup of sugar. Pour the hot milk into the egg mixture and then put back into the saucepan on the stove and stir over a gentle heat until the custard coats the back of a spoon. Do not allow to boil.
• Cool both the fruit and custard down and liquidize and/or sieve the fruit mixture to make a puree.
• Set aside 1/3 of the fruit puree for use later.
• Mix the remaining 2/3 of the fruit puree with the ¼ cup of glucose powder.
• Mix this with 1 cup of whipping or double cream and add in the custard mixture.
• Pour into the ice cream maker and follow the manufacturers instructions to freeze the ice cream.
• When ready, mix in the remaining 1/3 of the fruit puree very roughly, leaving a marbled effect.
• Place directly into the freezer and freeze for at least one hour before serving.

STICKY GOOSEBERRY SAUCE FOR THE SOUL

Steps:

• Put all ingredients in a small saucepan and turn hotplate onto its highest heat.
• Use a fork or potato masher to squish down on gooseberries. Keep doing this occasionally until the mixture comes to the boil. (We do not want the gooseberries to be completely pulverised, but we do want to help release their flavour, and help the skins to cook down/soften).
• When the mixture has come to the boil, turn the hotplate down by half. Continue stirring occasionally so as to prevent burning.
• Keep it on this heat for 5 minutes, before turning down by half again. Leave it on this heat for 5 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally.
• Turn it down by half again, letting it gently simmer for an additional 10 minutes, stirring now and then to make sure it is cooking down appropriately. When the skins of the gooseberries appear translucent - similar to the appearance of the skins of glace cherries - and the liquid has reduced and appears to be sticky/coat the back of a spoon, take saucepan off the heat.
• Spoon mixture into a small, clean glass jar.
• Attach lid of jar, screwing it on tight. Carefully tip the jar upside down so the scorching hot jam creates a natural heat seal (effectively sterilizing top of jar/lid).
• Allow to cool for 20 mins, then open jar and spoon compote over dessert of your choice.
• Re-seal jar and refrigerate for future use.

GOOSEBERRY AND ELDERFLOWER ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Top and tail the gooseberries, wash them and put them in a saucepan with the water and sugar; cover and bring slowly to the boil, stirring occasionally to a pulp.
• Keeping the heat low, simmer the gooseberry pulp, uncovered, for 5 minutes; allow to cool slightly then put in a blender and process until smooth; sieve to make a smooth puree and set aside to cool.
• When the puree is cold, add the elderflower cordial and cream; mix well and check the sweetness, adding a bit more sugar if required; pour into a plastic container and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• NOTE: allow the ice cream to soften for 10 minutes before serving.
• The original recipe instructs you to process or whisk the ice cream when partially frozen, re freeze then repeat in order to break down any ice crystals that may form; I must confess that whenever I see this instruction I always ignore it and have never had a problem with grainy ice cream: I'll leave the choice up to you, but of course it will increase the preparation involved.

GOOSEBERRY & ELDERFLOWER YOGURT ICE

Steps:

• Tip the gooseberries and sugar into a pan with 2 tbsp water. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat and simmer for a few mins to soften the berries.
• Remove from the heat, carefully tip into a food processor and whizz to a purée. Add the elderflower cordial and whizz again. Taste to check that the purée is sweet enough and has enough elderflower flavour - remember that the flavour will be diluted by the yogurt, so it needs to be quite sweet. If not, add a sprinkle more sugar or a splash more cordial and whizz again. Mix the yogurt and milk until smooth, then add the purée and mix again.
• Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine. Churn until frozen - about 2 hrs.
• Pour the frozen yogurt into a container and freeze for at least 3 hrs. Will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.