Method: First, you need to cook the rhubarb.
Rinse the stalks of rhubarb in clean cold water - remember NO leaves as they are poisonous to eat. Chop the stalks into chunks about 1" wide and put them into a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water and 2 oz of the sugar (leaving 4oz or 100g for the rest of the recipe). Bring to the boil and stir the ingredients constantly as you do so. This helps to break down the rhubarb. Reduce the heat to simmer level and cook gently for 10 minutes. Keep stirring and make sure all the rhubarb has broken down before removing the pan from the heat. Leave to cool.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, place the 4 egg yolks and sugar and beat well until fluffy. Gently heat the milk in a separate saucepan but do NOT boil and when it's hot pour it into the mixing bowl with the egg/sugar mix. Stir well and then pour back into the saucepan for further heating. Remember - gentle heating is the key to making a good custard base - never boil the mixture or you risk it curdling. Keep stirring the mixture whilst gently heating and gradually you will start to see it thicken. That's the point at which you need to remove it from the heat and leave to cool.

When the custard has cooled, take 2 clean mixing bowls and into the first pour the custard. Into the second pour the cooked rhubarb. Both bowls should then be refrigerated to ensure the ingredients are thoroughly chilled before making up the complete ice cream mixture. This usually takes at least an hour, but ideally 2-3 hours is best if time allows.

When both bowls are sufficiently chilled, take them out of the refrigerator. Stir the light (single) cream and the vanilla extract into the bowl of chilled custard. Then add to this the chilled, cooked rhubarb, stirring it in thoroughly.

Your rhubarb and custard ice cream mix is now ready to transfer into your ice cream maker. Just follow the manufacturer's instructions in the usual way. Serves 6-8

Author: Shelagh Caudle