BBQ Recipe: Rick's Barbeque Ice Cream

I recently came across this recipe by Rick Browne, who hosts the PBS TV series Barbecue America. It's a great adaptation of baked Alaska all souped up and ready for the grill. Take it away Rick...

RICK'S BARBECUED ICE CREAM (AKA 'GRILLED ALASKA')

• 1 large pound cake, frozen
• 3 square ice cream bars (no sticks), hard
• 12 to 16 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Raspberry and apricot jams
• Chocolate sprinkles
• 1 wooden plank, 12-by-12-by-1-inch thick, soaked in hot water
• Heavy-duty aluminum foil to wrap plank
• 8-ounce jar chocolate fudge sauce or caramel sauce or other topping of your choice
• Electric knife (for best results)
• Fresh mint leaves for garnish

Get a good hot fire (500 F plus) going in a kettle grill or smoker. If you use charcoal in a kettle grill mound it in two piles on either side of the cooker, leaving the middle of the grill open. If using a gas grill, turn on all burners to high.

Whip the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar into a stiff meringue so that when you pull beaters away sharp points stand up in the meringue. At the last minute add a generous amount of chocolate sprinkles and quickly fold into the egg whites. Put in refrigerator.

Working quickly, wrap the wet plank in the foil. Cut frozen pound cake in half horizontally, and lay one half on the foil. Spread raspberry jam on top of the pound cake half. Place the ice cream bars on the jam-covered pound cake so they exactly cover the surface. Place the other piece of pound cake on top of the ice cream, and cover with apricot jam. Completely cover the cake on all sides with meringue, being sure to bring the meringue all the way down to touch the foil all around cake. (If you leave any gaps the ice cream may melt and spoil the dessert.) Place the plank on the center of the grill in the cooker.

Check after 2 minutes and as soon as you see the peaks of meringue brown remove the dessert from the cooker. This will take only a few minutes with a very hot fire. Slide the cake off the plank and onto a chilled serving platter. Cut vertical slices through meringue, cake and ice cream with an electric knife (much preferred way) or, if you don't have one, use a very sharp serrated knife that you dip into hot water between slices. Slide slices onto plates onto which you have spooned a generous pool of chocolate or caramel sauce, or both. Garnish sauce with fresh mint leaves, shake more sprinkles over meringue and serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.