Jerusalem artichoke, coffee, cacao

You’ll need to freeze the base of your ice cream maker 12 hours in advance

To make the ice cream, add the artichoke, milk and cream to a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Leave to infuse for 1 hour then strain through a fine sieve

Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until combined

Heat the infused milk and cream with the glucose and salt over a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a simmer

Slowly pour the simmering cream mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking constantly

Return the mixture to the pan and cook out over a low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 82°C

Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and then set aside to cool. Chill in the fridge, covering the surface of the custard with cling film so that it doesn’t form a skin

Once cold, churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to the freezer to set until solid

To make the Jerusalem artichoke skin crisps, first preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

Transfer the Jerusalem artichokes to an oven-proof dish and add some water, about 100ml. Cover the dish with a lid or foil, and steam the artichokes in the oven for 45 minutes

When completely soft, split the artichokes in half and scoop out all the flesh. Leave as little flesh on the skins as possible. Set the flesh aside - there should be around 500g

Dehydrate the scooped-out skins at 45°C in a dehydrator for 8 hours

Once the skins are fully dehydrated and crisp, heat a large pan with several inches of vegetable oil to 180°C

Deep fry the skins for a few minutes until crispy

Add the water, sugar and espresso to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves

Add the fried artichoke skin crisps to the syrup, and turn to coat, then set aside on parchment paper until required. Reserve the remaining syrup for making the cake soak later

To make the Jerusalem artichoke and coffee cream, first add the 500g cooked artichoke flesh, cream and caster sugar to a pan

Bring to a simmer and warm through for 20 minutes

Add the espresso and a pinch of salt, and then blend until smooth. Set aside

Next, make the coffee sponge. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

Grease a full-size gastro and and line it with baking parchment

To make the coffee sponge, first beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Start on low, and then slowly increase the speed to medium, pausing the mixer to scrape down the sides and the paddle as you go, until the mixture is lighter in colour and fluffy. Add the lemon zest and espresso, and mix to combine

Whisk together the flour and baking powder

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low, and add the flour and eggs alternatively - a few spoonfuls of flour and then a little bit of egg - until the flour is fully incorporated. Add a dash of milk to loosen the batter if it’s too thick

Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and check for pockets of flour hiding at the bottom of the batter

Bake the cake in the lined gastro for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool

Cut the cake into 6.5cm discs. Level the top of each disk if it’s uneven

To make the cacao crumb, first preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3 and line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper

Put all the dry ingredients apart from the cacao nibs in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment

Add the melted butter and mix whilst on low to medium speed until it forms crumbs. Once combined, transfer the crumbs to the lined baking trays and bake for 18 minutes

Allow the crumb to cool completely then break it up with your hands and add the cacao nibs

To make the coffee syrup, whisk together any remaining coffee syrup from making the Jerusalem artichoke crisps with the coffee liqueur and rum

5-10 minutes before serving your main course, drizzle each portion of cake with 25-50 ml coffee syrup. You want enough syrup to make the cake pieces very soft and moist

Once you’re ready to serve the dessert, squeeze the jerusalem artichoke and coffee cream on top of the cake, then sprinkle a layer of crumbs on top of and around the cream

Place a rocher of ice cream on top of the crumb-dusted cream, then add 5-7 thumb nail-sized pieces of Jerusalem artichoke skin crisp around the dish, and one on top of the ice cream. Serve immediately