Sauerkraut ice cream with dessert kraut topping

Peel the outer leaves off the red cabbages, cut off the stems, quarter and core them, then shred thinly on a mandolin.

Add thinly julienned orange peel and freshly grated ginger to the shredded cabbage.

Add about a tablespoon of kosher salt and a tablespoon of caraway seeds.

Massage the salt into the cabbage about three full minutes until it is dripping wet.

Pack the cabbage into a sanitized fermentation vessel, press it down evenly, lay a sheet of parchment on top and weigh it down with fermentation weights.

Seal with a fermentation valve, or cover with a couple of layers of cheesecloth secured with a rubber band.

Ferment in a cool dark place at least 10 days and up to four weeks; longer gives a more sour kraut. This batch went about two weeks.

Combine the whole milk and heavy cream in a large saucepan. In a separate heatproof bowl combine the eggs with the granulated sugar, sieved.

Add a heaping teaspoon of white miso paste to the egg and sugar and beat until completely smooth.

Bring the milk and cream to a bare simmer, take off the heat, and whisking constantly ladle it slowly into the egg mixture to temper it; speed up once about half is in.

Return the mixture to the remaining milk and cream, whisking constantly, and cook over medium-low heat 2 to 5 minutes until thickened to nappe.

Off the heat, add about a teaspoon and a half of vanilla extract.

Whisk in the sauerkraut: one batch with sauerkraut juice for a smooth texture, one with squeezed-dry sauerkraut finely chopped.

Press plastic wrap directly onto the custard, chill overnight, then churn in an ice cream maker for the manufacturer's time until it looks like soft serve.

Transfer to a freezing vessel, smooth it out and freeze at least overnight.

For the candied topping, press about half a cup of kraut extremely dry.

Combine half a cup each of granulated sugar and water in a small saute pan, bring to a simmer and drop in the dried kraut.

Cook 5 to 10 minutes until most of the water is off and the bubbles are small and prolific, then shake dry and toss in a bowl of granulated sugar.

Scoop the smooth sauerkraut ice cream, add black sesame seed and top with the candied kraut.