Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan [288]
Freezing the gelato mixture Pour the mixture, making sure it is already cold, into the container of your ice-cream maker, and freeze it following the manufacturer’s instructions. When done, the gelato is ready to eat, but if you want to serve it later, or prefer it when it’s more compact, transfer it to a container that closes tightly and place it in the freezer. If you are going to leave it in the freezer overnight or longer, let the gelato soften a little before serving by putting it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Strawberry Gelato
For 4 servings
½ pound fresh strawberries
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cold heavy whipping cream
An ice-cream maker
1. Pull off the leaves and stems from the strawberries, and cut the berries in half, unless they are exceptionally small. Wash the berries in cold water.
2. Put the strawberries with all the sugar in the bowl of a food processor, process for a few moments, then add ¾ cup water and continue to process until liquefied.
3. Whip the cream until it thickens slightly, to the consistency of buttermilk. Put the cream and the pureed strawberries in a bowl, and mix thoroughly.
4. Freeze as described above.
Prune Gelato
For 4 servings
14 large OR 18 smaller dried prunes
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ cup cold heavy whipping cream
An ice-cream maker
1. Put the prunes, sugar, and 1½ cups water in a saucepan, and bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook until the prunes are very soft, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on their size.
2. Let the prunes cool off in the liquid in the saucepan, then retrieve them without emptying out the pan, and pit them. Put the pitted prunes into the bowl of a food processor, run the steel blade for a moment or two, then add the liquid from the pan and continue processing until the prunes are completely pureed.
3. Whip the cream until it thickens slightly, to the consistency of buttermilk. Put the cream and the pureed prunes in a bowl, and mix thoroughly.
4. Freeze as described.
Black Grape Gelato
For 4 servings
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 pound large black grapes, not the pale purple seedless ones
¼ cup cold heavy whipping cream
An ice-cream maker
1. Put the sugar and ½ cup water into a small saucepan, turn on the heat to medium, and stir from time to time, until the sugar has melted completely. Pour the sugar syrup into a bowl.
2. Detach the grape berries from their stems and wash them in cold water. Fit the disk with the smallest holes into your food mill, and puree the grapes through the mill into the bowl with the sugar syrup. If a few shreds of grape skin go through the mill it is not a problem, but make sure none of the seeds get into the bowl. Do not use a food processor, because it will chop up the seeds, releasing their astringent oil. Mix the pureed grapes with the sugar syrup, and allow to cool completely.
3. Whip the cream until it thickens slightly, to the consistency of buttermilk. Add the cream to the grape and sugar syrup and mix thoroughly.
4. Freeze as described.
Banana and Rum Gelato
RUM GIVES THIS gelato a consistency somewhat between dense slush and soft ice cream, a quality that seems quite appropriately matched to the rich, intense banana flavor.
For 6 servings
¾ to 1 pound ripe bananas
⅔ cup granulated sugar
⅔ cup milk
2 tablespoons dark rum
An ice-cream maker
1. Peel the bananas, cut them up, put them in a food processor, and puree them.
2. Add the sugar, milk, and rum to the processor bowl and run the steel blade for another minute.
3. Freeze as described. It does not need any tempering when you take it out of the freezer because this is a particularly soft gelato.
Egg Custard Gelato
I HAVE BORROWED this recipe from Marcella’s Italian Kitchen because no view of the Italian ice-cream maker’s art, however cursory, can fail to include Italy’s favorite flavor, gelato di