Salted Honey Ice Cream combines mellow sweetness with a subtle twang of salt. It can be scooped straight from the freezer and is exceptionally creamy. It is chilly bliss.
Put the milk and vanilla bean paste into a medium-sized pan (heavy-based) over a medium heat. Heat until warm.
Add the honey a stir through until dissolved. Take off the heat.
Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl for 2-3 minutes until thicker and paler.
Pour the warm milk onto the yolks, whisking continuously.
Pour the custard mix back into the pan and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Take off the heat.
Grind the salt in a pestle and mortar until fine. Tip into the custard and mix well.
Pour the custard into a bowl or jug, cover directly with clingfilm (to stop a skin forming) and cool. Once cold, transfer to the fridge to chill overnight (or for at least 4 hours).
When ready to churn remove the clingfilm, pour in the cream and stir until thoroughly combined.
Making the ice cream using an ice cream maker
Pour the custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Serve immediately or transfer the ice cream into a freezer-proof container, cover the surface directly with greaseproof paper or foil and store in the freezer. (It should be scoopable straight from the freezer - unless your freezer is exceptionally cold).
Making the ice cream by hand
.Pour the ice cream into a suitable freezer-proof bowl, cover and put it in the freezer for 1-1 ½ hours. The sides should be beginning to freeze, but the centre will be soft and slushy.
Remove from the freezer and, working quickly, use electric beaters to beat the ice cream until the ice crystals are uniform. Cover and place back in the freezer.
Repeat this process 4-8 more times at 1 hour intervals - the better the texture will be the more the process is repeated.
Cover the ice cream with greaseproof paper or foil and freeze for a further 3 hours or overnight.
Serve straight from the freezer.
Notes
Ensure both the churning bowl of your ice cream maker and the custard base are sufficiently frozen/ chilled before churning begins.
If churning your honey ice cream by hand it’s best to make the custard base and let it chill overnight before starting the churning process the next morning. This leaves plenty of time to fit in 6-8 churns with electric beaters.
And if churning by hand, set a timer between each churn to ensure it is not left too long between each churn otherwise ice crystals will form.
Putting the ice cream into a chilled container rather than one at room temperature means the ice cream will melt less at the point of transfer.
Cover the top of the ice cream with parchment to help stop ice crystals from forming in the freezer.
Eat within 2 weeks to enjoy this ice cream with honey and salt at its prime. It’s still safe to eat after this time but the flavour and texture may begin to deteriorate.