Hojicha-Burnt Honey Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 600 grams honey
• 55 grams Hojicha tea
• 350 grams whole milk
• 350 grams heavy whipping cream, not ultra pasteurized
• 110 grams large egg yolks
• 50 grams honey, plus more to taste
• Sea or smoked salt to taste

Directions

1. Pour the honey into a heavy-bottomed, non-reactive sauce pot and bring it to a boil. Let it cook down until it has reduced by a third, then take it off the heat and keep it nearby.
2. In a separate sauce pot, combine the hojicha tea, milk, and cream. Give everything a stir, then warm it over medium heat until the mixture is hot. Whisk it together, then let the tea steep in the dairy for one to two hours.
3. Once the tea has had its full steep, return the pot to medium-high heat and whisk now and then. As soon as the steeped dairy just reaches a simmer, turn off the heat and strain it through a fine-meshed sieve into the pot with the honey. Set that pot over medium heat and whisk every few minutes, until the honey is fully melted into the dairy.
4. Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk them to loosen. Add 50 grams of honey and whisk until combined.
5. When the burnt honey dairy mixture is just barely simmering, turn off the heat. Ladle the hot liquid into the honeyed yolks while whisking, continuing until the yolk mixture is hot. Scrape everything back into the pot and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard coats the back of the spoon.
6. Right away, pour the base into a non-reactive container and taste it. Add sea or smoked salt, and more honey if you want it, to taste. The base should taste a little more intense than seems necessary, since it will lose about ten percent of that strength once frozen. Cover it tightly and chill in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 5 days. Churn according to your ice cream machine manufacturer’s instructions.