Recipe: Chocolate-beet ice cream

Reprinted with permission from "River Cottage Veg" by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, © 2013. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.

10 ounces
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup superfine sugar
3 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, broken into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the beets in an ovenproof dish, add a 1/2-inch depth of water, cover with foil, and roast until tender - at least 1 hour. Let cool. Peel the beets, chop coarsely, and puree in a blender with one-third of the milk. Measure the puree. You should have about 1 1/4 cups; it does not matter if there's a little less, but you don't want more. Set aside.

To make the custard, heat the remaining milk and the cream in a saucepan to just below boiling. Cool a little. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl, then pour in the hot milk and cream, whisking until smooth. Return to a clean saucepan. Cook gently, stirring all the time, until the custard thickens. Don't let it boil or it will "break." Remove from the heat and leave to cool until tepid, stirring often to stop a skin forming.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed in a larger bowl filled with just-boiled water, stirring from time to time. Stir the melted chocolate into the custard (don't worry if it looks a bit grainy at this point). Stir in the beet puree. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a pitcher, leave to cool, then chill.

Once cold, churn the mixture in an ice cream maker until soft-set, then transfer to a suitable container and freeze until solid. (If you don't have an ice cream maker, freeze in a shallow container, mashing with a fork after every hour for 3 hours, or until the mixture is solid.) Transfer to the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before serving, to soften a little.

Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

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