Joanne Weir's Ginger Ice Cream
With Chocolate-Covered Almonds

Ice Cream:
One 3-inch piece fresh ginger root, about 2 1/2 ounces, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cups sugar
6 egg yolks

Chocolate Sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa (preferably Dutch-processed)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Chocolate Covered Almonds:
1 cup almonds, toasted
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate

Place the ginger in a small saucepan and cover with water. Over high heat, bring to a boil and simmer 2 minutes. Drain and discard the water. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, scald the ginger, heavy cream, milk and sugar, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let stand 2 hours.

Place the egg yolks in a large bowl. Scald the cream mixture again. Slowly, add the cream mixture to the yolks, drop by drop, whisking constantly. When all of the cream mixture has been added to the egg yolks, pour the mixture back into the large saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and immediately stir the bottom and sides of the saucepan with a flat bottom wooden spoon or heat-proof spatula until it begins to thicken and coats the back of a wooden spoon and registers no higher than 170F. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Whisk very quickly to cool the mixture. Place the mixture in the refrigerator and cool the mixture completely.

For the chocolate sauce, whisk together the cocoa and sugar in saucepan. Whisk in the water until blended. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the cream, corn syrup, chocolate and butter, and stir until the chocolate is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

For the chocolate covered almonds, in the meantime, preheat an oven to 375F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Cool. Roughly chop the chocolate and place in a bowl set over a pan of boiling water to melt. When the chocolate has melted, add the almonds and stir together. Spread the chocolate and almonds onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and let cool completely. When the chocolate is cool and set, place on a cutting board and chop.

Freeze the ice cream according to your particular ice cream machine. Towards the last 2 minutes of churning, add the chocolate-covered almonds.

To serve, warm the chocolate sauce in a saucepan. Scoop ice cream into bowls and drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Makes a generous quart.