Olive oil ice cream with homemade honeycomb

If you've never tried olive oil ice cream, you’ll be surprised by how smooth and creamy it tastes. It’s a perfect opportunity to put some of your costly olive oil to good use, just be sure to use a mild one that’s not bitter.

Serves 6-8

For the ice cream
(makes 700m1)

250ml whole milk
250 ml double cream
1-2 vanilla pods
150 g caster sugar
5 large egg yolks
150 ml top-quality mild olive oil

For the honeycomb

75 gms clear honey
140g liquid glucose
400g caster sugar
75 ml water
20q bicarbonate of soda

1 Pour the milk and double cream into a medium saucepan. Split the vanilla pod half and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and pod, then heat gently to just below boiling. Meanwhile, beat the sugar and egg yolks together until pale and frothy.

2 Gradually pour the hot milk and cream onto the egg mixture while whisking continuously. Pour the mixture into a clean pan and cook over a very low heat, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon. Once the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon, remove it from the heat. Pass the custard through a fine sieve into a bowl, then whisk in the olive oil. Cool completely, then churn in an ice cream maker until firm.

3 Line a large, shallow baking tray with baking paper. Warm the honey and liquid glucose in their containers in a pan of hot water (this will make them easier to measure. Once they’ve warmed up, weigh directly into a deep, heavy-based saucepan.

4 Add the sugar and water to the pan and warm over a low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat to medium and cook to a light, golden caramel. It should measure 150c on a sugar thermometer.

5 As soon as it gets to this temperature, turn off the heat and add the bicarbonate of soda. The mixture will start bubbling and foaming.
When it almost reaches the top of the pan, pour it onto the prepared baking tray.
Leave it to level out and cool until firm and crisp.

Crush or break the honeycomb into pieces and sprinkle them over scoops of the ice cream to serve.

Text and recipes copyright Gordon Ramsey, The Times, London.

Food prepared and photographed by The Daily Telegraph, Sydney.

Stylist: Kate Murdoch

Photographer: John Fotiadis