Easy Sweet Corn Ice Cream Sandwich

STEP 1: CHAR AND BLEND THE SWEET CORN

Heat the neutral oil in a wide frying pan over a high heat. Add the sweet corn kernels in a single layer, pat them dry first if wet, and leave them undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until deeply browned and blistered in patches. Toss and char for another 2-3 minutes: you want real colour, as this stands in for the charred husks in the original and carries the toasted, hay-sweet note the dish is built around. Tip into a blender with the water and blitz to a smooth puree, then push it through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing hard on the solids, to leave about 1 cup (240 g) of silky corn puree. Cool completely.

STEP 2: WHIP AND FREEZE THE NO-CHURN ICE CREAM

In a large bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, 3/4 cup (180 g) of the cooled corn puree and the fine salt until smooth. In a second bowl, whip the well-chilled heavy cream to firm peaks. Fold a third of the whipped cream into the corn mixture to loosen it, then fold in the rest in two additions, keeping it airy. Scrape into a loaf tin or lidded container, level the top, cover and freeze for at least 5 hours or overnight until scoopable and firm. No churning and no custard needed.

STEP 3: MAKE THE SWEET CORN CARAMEL

Melt the unsalted butter in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat, then stir in the light brown sugar and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until it bubbles and looks glossy. Pour in the heavy cream and the remaining 3 tbsp (45 g) of corn puree, whisk smooth, and simmer for 3-4 minutes until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with flaky salt to balance the sweetness, then cool; it thickens further as it sits.

STEP 4: BROWN THE BUTTER AND BAKE THE POLENTA BISCUITS

Melt the unsalted butter in a light-coloured pan and cook, swirling, until the milk solids turn nut-brown and it smells of toasted hazelnut. Pour into a bowl, sediment and all, and cool until soft and scoopable. Mix the fine white polenta, plain flour, icing sugar and fine salt in a bowl, then work in the brown butter and the egg yolk to a firm dough. Roll the dough into a log about 5 cm across, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. Slice into 12 rounds about 5 mm thick, space them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake at 160C (325F) for 12-15 minutes until evenly pale gold. Cool completely on the tray; they crisp as they cool.

STEP 5: BLITZ THE POPCORN AND BUILD THE SANDWICHES

Blitz the plain popped popcorn with the icing sugar to a fine dust and tip it into a shallow bowl. Working quickly, spread a generous scoop of the corn ice cream onto the flat side of one biscuit with an offset spatula, spoon a little sweet corn caramel into the centre, and press a second biscuit on top so the ice cream just reaches the edges. Roll the exposed rim in the popcorn dust to coat. Set the sandwiches on a chilled tray and firm in the freezer for 30 minutes before serving, with the remaining caramel spooned alongside.