Jersey Dairy Ice Cream with Local Strawberries and Honeycomb

Prepare the Strawberry Macerate (Optional): Toss the strawberries with 2 tablespoons of caster sugar (if using) and let them sit for at least 30 minutes to release their juices. This will intensify their flavor.

Make the Ice Cream Custard: In a saucepan, combine the Jersey cream, Jersey milk, and 100g of the caster sugar. Heat over medium heat until just simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Do not boil.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining 50g of caster sugar until pale and thick.

Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Do not boil. This should take about 5-10 minutes. The temperature should reach around 82-85°C (180-185°F).

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

Make the Honeycomb: Line a baking tray with parchment paper. In a saucepan, combine the remaining caster sugar and golden syrup. Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook until it reaches 150°C (300°F) on a sugar thermometer. This will take around 5-8 minutes.

Remove from the heat and quickly whisk in the baking soda. The mixture will foam up rapidly. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking tray and let it cool completely without touching it. Once cool, break the honeycomb into small pieces.

Churn the Ice Cream: Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you don't have an ice cream maker, pour the custard into a freezer-safe container and freeze for 2-3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to break up ice crystals.

Assemble and Freeze: Gently fold the macerated strawberries (or fresh strawberries) and most of the honeycomb pieces into the churned ice cream. Reserve some honeycomb for topping.

Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 2-3 hours to harden further.

Serve: Scoop the ice cream into bowls and sprinkle with the remaining honeycomb pieces. Drizzle with Jersey honey for extra decadence.