Poached rhubarb with ginger ice cream
Poached rhubarb:
- 1 pound rhubarb
- 1¼ cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1-ounce piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 6 extra-large egg yolks
- 7 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup stem ginger in syrup sliced into thin matchsticks (optional)
Instructions:
Serve neat scoops alongside the poached rhubarb and sauce.
- Trim both the ends from the rhubarb, then cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths. Put the sugar and water into a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the pan along with the bean. Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat slightly and simmer until the liquid has thickened slightly, 2–3 minutes. Tip in the rhubarb and poach until just tender but the pieces are still holding their shape, 3–5 minutes. Remove the rhubarb with a slotted spoon and put into a bowl.
- Boil the poaching liquid until reduced by two-thirds to a syrupy sauce, 8–10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the rhubarb. Let cool completely, then refrigerate. With time, the rhubarb will continue to stain the poaching syrup into a gorgeous pink sauce. The poached rhubarb can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- For the ginger ice cream, put the milk, cream, and grated ginger into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a large heatproof bowl. When the milk and cream begin to bubble at the sides of the pan, remove from the heat. Slowly trickle the hot liquid into the egg and sugar mixture, stirring. When fully incorporated, strain the mixture into a clean saucepan. Return to a low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens to a custard that lightly coats the back of the spoon.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the stem ginger, if using. Let cool completely, giving the custard a stir every now and then to prevent a skin from forming. Pour into the bowl of an ice-cream maker and churn until almost firm. Transfer to a suitable container and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.