Olive oil ice cream

Method

• step 1

  Put the milk and cream in a heavy-based pan along with half the sugar, the vanilla bean paste and a large pinch of sea salt. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over a low heat, stirring often, until almost boiling. Take off the heat, cover and set aside for 30 mins to infuse.

• step 2

  Put the egg yolks in a bowl with the rest of the sugar and beat with an electric hand beater for 2 mins until the mixture is paler and has thickened. Rewarm the cream mixture and then whisk a few tbsp into the egg yolks to loosen. Scrape the yolks into the pan and cook over a very low heat, stirring all the time, for 8-10 mins or until the custard is thick enough to lightly coat the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. You don’t want it to boil as it will curdle, so keep a close eye.

• step 3

  Pour the custard into a heatproof bowl and stir in the oil. Sit it in a bigger bowl filled halfway with ice or iced water – be careful not to overfill as you don’t want any water getting into the custard. Stir until cool and to stop a skin forming, then chill for 2 hrs.

• step 4

  When ready to churn, freeze the custard in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer’s instructions. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring occasionally. Add the coconut oil and stir until melted. Transfer to a piping bag and snip a very small hole at the end. During the final few minutes of the ice cream’s churning time, drizzle the chocolate into the machine in a thin stream. For a firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezable container and freeze for another hour or two. Serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of flaky sea salt.