(serves 6-8)

450g blackberries

150g caster sugar

2 tablespoons creme de mures or creme de cassis (optional but good!)

220g clotted cream

For the custard:

4 egg yolks

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1 tablespoon plain flour

300ml milk

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.

Put the blackberries into a shallow, ovenproof dish and sprinkle with the sugar. Leave to soften gently in the oven, stirring once or twice, for 40 minutes, until the juices flow copiously and the tantalising scent curls around the kitchen. Leave to cool, then stir in the creme de mures or creme de cassis.

To make the custard, beat the egg yolks with the sugar and flour. Bring the milk up to the boil, and pour on to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Rinse out the pan, then pour the custard mixture back in and stir over a low heat until it has thickened and the taste of raw flour has disappeared. Leave to cool.

Beat the clotted cream until softened, then whisk in the custard and the blackberry mixture. If you have an ice cream maker, freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

If you don't have an ice-cream maker pre-set the freezer to its coldest setting. Spoon the ice cream mixture into a shallow freezer container and leave in the freezer for about an hour, until the sides have frozen but the centre is still soft. Break up the sides and push them into the centre. Return to the freezer for another 30 minutes to an hour until just set solid but not yet frozen hard. Scrape into the processor and process to a smooth slush, or tip into a bowl and beat hard to break up jagged ice crystals. Either way, return the mixture to the container and then slide it back into the freezer to finish freezing.

Transfer from the freezer to the fridge about 45 minutes before serving, so that it softens enough to scoop.