Time: 30 minutes, plus 4 hours' refrigeration and 2 hours' freezing
2 cups heavy cream2 ounces ginger, peeled and grated
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1 cup whole milk
1½ ounces gingersnap cookies (about 8 2-inch rounds), coarsely crushed.
1. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk cream with ginger and salt. When it just begins to steam, after about 6 minutes (about 150 degrees on a candy thermometer), turn off flame and allow to stand 3 minutes. Pour cream through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher, pressing ginger to extract as much liquid as possible.
2. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until they become milky yellow in color, about 1½ minutes. While continuing to whisk, slowly add ginger-flavored cream in a thin stream.
3. Fill bottom half of a double boiler with an inch or two of water, and bring to a boil. Pour custard into top half of double boiler, and stir until thickened slightly, 6 to 8 minutes (about 150 degrees). Let cool for about 10 minutes; then whisk milk into custard. Pour into a covered container, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
4. Churn custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Fold in crushed gingersnap pieces, until thoroughly combined. Pack ice cream into a vessel with a tight-fitting lid, and place in freezer to harden for 2 hours. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving.
Yield: About 1 quart (10 to 12 servings).