Meringue-based ice creams don’t need to be churned and work
particularly well with tart-tasting fruits that balance the sweetness of
the base mixture.
PREPARATION 30 MINUTES PLUS FREEZING
COOKING 10 MINUTES
Serves 4–6
a small handful of mint leaves
300g (10oz) blackcurrants
250ml (8fl oz) water
2 tablespoons crème de cassis
250g (8oz) caster sugar
2 egg whites
300ml (1/2 pint) whipping or double cream
a squeeze of lemon juice
1 Roughly bruise the mint leaves in a pestle and mortar to release their oils
and put in a saucepan with the blackcurrants and 100ml (31/2fl oz) of the
water. Heat gently until the berries soften and release their juices, about 5
minutes.
2 Push the blackcurrants and mint through a sieve into a bowl. Add the cassis
and leave to cool.
3 Dampen 4–6 individual moulds with water and line with cling film that
overlaps the edges. Alternatively, you can use a 900g (13/4lb) loaf tin.
4 Dissolve the sugar in a saucepan with the remaining water over a gentle
heat. Bring to the boil, then simmer, without stirring, until it reaches firmball
stage (120°C/248°F on a sugar thermometer) – drop a teaspoon of
syrup into a bowl of cold water, it should make a firm ball when brought
together with your fingers.
5 Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until they make stiff
peaks. In a separate bowl, whisk the cream until it just softly peaks.
6 Whisk the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites and continue whisking until
the mixture is cooled.
7 Fold the blackcurrant purée into the meringue base along with a squeeze of
lemon juice. Then fold in the whipped cream. Turn the mixture into the
prepared moulds or loaf tin. Smooth over the surface, fold the excess cling
film over the top and freeze for 24 hours.
8 When ready to serve, turn out of the moulds and remove the cling film.
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