Popcorn Ice Cream

Directions

• Place the butter in a saucepan, and heat for 5 minutes or so or until frothing. Add the popcorn and firmly place the lid on top.
  Shake the pan a few times to make sure that nothing burns and that all the corn pops!
  
  Once cooked, transfer 140g into a bowl and reserve 40g for caramelising.
• Pour the cream, milk and vanilla into the same saucepan, and bring up to steaming point – just before it boils.
  Then pour over the 140g cooked popcorn.
  
  Allow to cool down before covering with cling film and putting in the fridge overnight. At this stage you could make the caramelised popcorn, or wait until tomorrow.
• The next day, after full infusion has taken place, put the cream and popcorn mixture into a muslin and allow to drain. Discard the popcorn mixture – your chickens will love you for it! 
• Place the eggs and 100g of the caster sugar in a bowl and whisk until light and fluffy and then slowly add the cream mixture in, whisking all the while. 
• Place in a saucepan with a pinch of salt and cook for 5 – 7 minutes over a low – medium heat, stirring ALL the time.
  You don’t want scrambled eggs here, you want custard! 
• Once it’s thickened (my test is to run a spatula over the top and if it leaves a little trail then it’s ready). Let it cool for half an hour (or if you have hungry gannets like I did, put into a glass bowl and place the bowl in iced water. 
• Once cool, put into your ice-cream churner until it’s churned up to soft serve consistency. Place into a plastic container and keep in the freezer until you need it.
• CARAMEL POPCORN
• Place the remaining 60g of caster sugar in a saucepan together with your liquid glucose and slowly bring the heat up. Swirl the sugar mix from time to time but don’t stir it.
  Let it caramelise, and turn brown.
• It isn’t always easy to see this – especially if you have a black bottomed saucepan like I do – but trust your nose! Add the 40g of popcorn you held back and stir it into the caramel. 
• Cook for a further one minute and make sure that all the popcorn has a caramel on it, before transferring to a baking dish that is lined with greaseproof paper. 
• Allow to cool then snap into pieces and sprinkle on top of your ice cream when serving!