Gooseberry crumble with vanilla custard and ice cream

Equipment and preparation: For this recipe you will need four chefs’ rings that are 7.5cm/3in in diameter and 7.5cm/3in tall. You will also need an ice cream machine.

Ingredients

For the custard and ice cream
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 200g/7oz caster sugar
  • 400ml/14fl oz full-fat milk
  • 400ml/14fl oz double cream
  • 2 vanilla pods, split, seeds scraped out using a sharp knife
For the crumble
  • 110g/4oz caster sugar
  • 400g/14oz gooseberries, washed, trimmed
  • 90g/3¼oz butter
  • 90g/3¼oz demerara sugar
  • 90g/3¼oz plain flour

Preparation method

  1. For the custard and ice cream, whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until pale, fluffy and well combined.

  2. Bring the milk, cream, vanilla pods and vanilla seeds to the boil in a saucepan.

  3. Whisk the boiling milk mixture into the egg mixture and continue whisking until thick and well combined. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over a low heat, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. (Do not allow the custard mixture to boil.)

  4. Strain half of the custard mixture through a sieve into a bowl. Cover with cling film and set aside to cool.

  5. Strain the remaining custard mixture into a jug and cover with cling film, to be reheated just before serving.

  6. When the bowl of custard has cooled, pour it into the ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze until needed.

  7. When the ice cream is ready, make the crumble. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Place the chefs’ rings onto a baking tray.

  8. Tip the caster sugar into a large bowl. Add the gooseberries and shake the bowl until they’re well coated in the sugar.

  9. Divide the sugar-coated gooseberries among the chefs’ rings, squashing them down well until the gooseberries reach 1cm/½in from the top of the chefs’ rings.

  10. Rub the butter and demerara sugar together in a separate bowl until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the flour until well combined, then sprinkle the topping mixture over the gooseberries until it is level with the tops of the chefs’ rings.

  11. Bake the gooseberry crumbles for 20-30 minutes, or until the topping is golden-brown and the filling is bubbling.

  12. To serve, reheat the jug of custard until just hot (do not boil). Place one gooseberry crumble into the centre of each of four serving bowls. Carefully remove the chefs’ rings from the crumbles. Place one scoop of ice cream alongside each crumble. Spoon some of the custard over the crumble.

Top recipe tip

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour the custard into a freezeable metal container, cover and freeze for 3-4 hours, or until frozen, stirring the mixture with a fork every hour to break up any ice crystals.

The vanilla pods can be washed thoroughly, dried, and stored for another use, such as making vanilla sugar.

Required techniques

James Martin recipes from Saturday Kitchen

Over 2 hours preparation time

30 mins to 1 hour cooking time

Serves 4

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this post

PinIt
scroll to top
error: Content is protected !!