Ginger pear tart and ginger ice cream

(Serves 6-8)

For the pastry

200g plain flour

50g icing sugar (preferably unrefined) 100g unsalted butter 1 large egg yolk juice of half a lemon

For the filling

400ml milk

1 vanilla pod (split) 4 large egg yolks

60g caster sugar

25g plain flour

20g cornflour

4 pieces preserved stem ginger in syrup 25g unsalted butter

For the pears

4 large (or 5 medium) just ripe pears lemon juice

(for rubbing) 100g caster sugar 5 cm piece of fresh ginger For the ginger ice cream

284ml carton single cream 1 vanilla pod (split) 5 large egg yolks

125g golden caster sugar 142ml carton double cream 150ml crème fraîche

4 tbsp syrup from the stem ginger jar 5 pieces stem ginger (chopped)

To make the ice cream, heat the single cream with the vanilla pod in a small saucepan to just below boiling point. Turn off the heat, half cover the pan and leave to steep for 30 minutes, then scrape out the seeds into the cream. Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together in a heatproof bowl, reheat the cream to just below boiling, then whisk into the egg yolks. Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and stir constantly until the custard thickens to coat the back of the spoon. Strain into a clean bowl, cover and chill.

Whisk the remaining two creams together with the ginger syrup until softly stiff, then fold into the chilled custard with the chopped ginger. Churn in an ice-cream maker, or turn into a polythene freezer box of a size in which it will form a layer around 3 cm deep, and freeze until set around the edge. Turn into a bowl and beat until smooth. Repeat the freezing and beating at least once – preferably twice – then freeze firm.

Make the pastry by whizzing together the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor, then binding with the egg yolk and

2-3 tablespoonfuls of lemon juice. Wrap in foil and chill for an hour. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5 and roll out the pastry to line a 23-25 cm loose bottomed metal flan tin. Prick the base with a fork, line with greaseproof paper or foil and then bake blind for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and cook for another

9-12 minutes until it’s light golden brown.

Meanwhile, bring the milk for the filling gently to the boil with the vanilla pod, take off the heat and leave to steep half covered for 20-30 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until light, then whisk in the sifted flours. Bring the milk back to the boil and whisk into the yolk mixture. Return to the rinsed saucepan and cook, stirring, for 3-5 minutes until the mixture thickens considerably – it should be of a thick pouring consistency that will require spreading with a palette knife in the case. Remove the vanilla pod and beat in the ginger (drained and chopped) and butter. Cool a little, then pour into the tart case and smooth the surface.

Peel, halve and core the pears and rub them with lemon juice. Put the sugar and ginger (peeled and sliced) into a wide saucepan with 300ml of water and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, then slop in the pears with 2-3 tablespoonfuls of lemon juice and poach gently for 10-15 minutes until soft, spooning syrup over them from time to time. Remove the pears with a slotted spoon and arrange them on top of the pastry cream, slicing them so that they can fan out slightly.

Reduce the oven to 180°C/350°F/ Gas 4. Brush the pears with a little of their poaching syrup and bake the tart for 30-40 minutes until the filling is risen, patched with brown and firm to a gentle touch. Soften the ice cream in the fridge for

10-15 minutes before scooping to serve with the tart.