Ballymaloe Ginger Ice Cream with Honeycomb

Method

1. Put the egg yolks into a bowl and whisk until light and fluffy (keep the whites for meringues). Combine the sugar with the water in a small heavy-based saucepan.

2. Stir over heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, then remove the spoon and boil the syrup until it reaches the ‘thread’ stage, about 106–113°C: it will look thick and syrupy, and when a metal spoon is dipped in the last drops of syrup will form thin threads. 

3. Add the grated ginger and stir. Pour this boiling syrup in a steady stream onto the egg yolks, whisking all the time by hand. (If you are whisking the mousse in a food mixer, remove the bowl and whisk the boiling syrup in by hand; otherwise it will solidify on the sides of the bowl.)

4. Continue to whisk the mixture until it becomes a thick, creamy white mousse. Fold the softly whipped cream into the mousse, pour into a bowl, cover and freeze.

5. After one hour, fold in the finely chopped ginger and the syrup. Return to the freezer, chill until firm.

6. Meanwhile, make the honeycomb (see recipe). 

7. When absolutely cold and hard, grate a chunk on the coarsest part of the grater. Scoop out a ball of ice cream. Serve in an iced silver coupe. Sprinkle generously with grated honeycomb and serve.

8. For the Honeycomb: First loosen the honey and glucose syrup by dipping their containers in warm water, then weigh out into your saucepan. Then add the sugar and water and heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Gradually raise the temperature of the pan’s contents to 150°C (300°F). 

9. Carefully sprinkle the bicarbonate of soda into the pan. The contents will fizz up like lava from the underworld, but don’t be alarmed, this is what puts the tiny air bubbles into the honeycomb.

10. Stir the mixture to make sure all the powder is incorporated, then pour it out onto your silicone sheet (or baking tray). Leave to set for at least 30 minutes, then break the brittle mass into small pieces.

11. Use as required but put the remainder into a sealed glass jar or it will pick up moisture from the air and become sticky.