Blackberry Soup with Liquorice Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 150 g caster sugar
• 500 ml water
• 250 ml chianti classico red wine
• 50 ml madeira
• 80 g green and black dark chocolate
• 250 g blackberries
• 1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice
• for the ice cream:
• 4 free-range eggs yolks
• 100 g golden caster sugar
• 300 ml full fat milk
• 300 ml double cream
• 1 tblsp liquorice powder (or 6 x15 cm liquorice sticks)

Method

1. To make the soup, put the sugar in a pot with the water and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Then add the wine and the Madeira and bring back to the boil. Add the blackberries and simmer everything for 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool and then add the lemon zest and juice. Remove the fruit seeds by pushing the mixture through a fine sieve and place the soup in fridge to chill until service.
2. Whisk egg yolks and sugar until frothy and gently heat milk and cream – don’t boil – just to simmering stage. Slowly add it to the egg mixture stirring constantly. Return to the pot and heat gently stirring all the time until it has thickened to pouring constituency (back of spoon). Stir in the liquorice powder and leave to cool.
3. Then pour into an ice cream machine and churn until frozen. (If using the liquorice sticks, cut them into small pieces and heat slowly in some of the milk until they have melted completely, then sieve them and when cool add to the ice cream mixture).
4. To serve, pour the blackberry soup into a shallow bowl, about 1 centimetre deep. Place one scoop of the liquorice ice cream in the centre and serve immediately.