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 crema—egg custard ice cream. And I know no finer version than this one which comes from Bologna’s great classic restaurant, Diana.
For 6 to 8 servings
6 egg yolks
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 cups milk
The peel of ½ orange, with none of the white pith beneath
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier liqueur
An ice-cream maker
1. Put the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl and beat the yolks until they become pale yellow and form soft ribbons.
2. Put the milk and orange peel in a saucepan, turn the heat on to medium, and bring the milk to a slow simmer, being careful not to let it break into a boil.
3. Add the hot milk to the beaten yolks, pouring it in a thin stream through a fine strainer. Add a little at a time, stopping each time to beat it into the yolks.
4. Add the Grand Marnier, stirring well.
5. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan, turn on the heat to medium, and beat constantly for about 2 minutes without letting it boil, then take off heat and allow it to become completely cold.
6. Freeze as described.
The Chimney Sweep’s Gelato
WHEN CUSTARD gelato is dusted with powdered espresso and bathed with whisky, it is not just another clever way of dressing up ice cream: It is a combination of unexpected textures and aromas that quicken each other and thrill the palate.
The deep, doubly roasted taste of espresso coffee is essential. You can use it straight out of the can, but it is finer when ground to a powder in a highspeed blender.
If you are rushed and have no time to make the gelato, you can substitute very good quality vanilla ice cream.
For 8 servings
The egg custard gelato, made with this recipe OR enough premium-quality vanilla ice cream for 8 portions
½ cup ground espresso coffee
Scotch OR Bourbon, about 1 tablespoon per person
Scoop the gelato or vanilla ice cream into 8 individual bowls, sprinkle 1 teaspoon ground espresso coffee over each portion, and pour into each bowl enough whisky to pool at the bottom, about 1 tablespoon. Serve at once.
Sgroppino—Venetian Lemon and Strawberry “Slush” with Sparkling Wine
IF YOU RATE highly with a Venetian restaurant, at the end of the meal the waiter may ask if you’d care for a sgroppino. Should you say yes, he will set up on the serving trolley by your table two bowls, one with lemon ice cream and one with cold pureed strawberries, a whisk, and a bottle of sparkling wine. He’ll beat the ice cream, strawberries, and wine into a mixture as refreshing as whipped snow, but infinitely tastier. Sgroppino is poured into wide-mouthed goblets and served in place of, or in addition to, dessert.
For 8 servings
FOR THE LEMON ICE CREAM
(To be prepared and frozen at least 2 hours in advance.)
The peel of 4 lemons with none of the white pith beneath, about ½ tightly packed cup
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
⅔ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
1. Put 1½ cups water, the lemon peel, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. After 2 minutes, take off heat, remove the lemon peel, and pour the syrup into a bowl. Let it become completely cold.
2. Add the heavy cream, stirring to incorporate it evenly into the lemon syrup, then pour the mixture into your ice-cream maker and freeze it following the manufacturer’s instructions. Store in the freezer in a tightly sealed container until you are ready to use it.
FOR THE STRAWBERRY PURÉE
(To be prepared and refrigerared at least 2 hours in advance.)
⅔ pound fresh, very ripe strawberries
Pull off the stems and leaves of the strawberries, wash them in cold water, put them in the food process
or, and puree them. You should have about 2 cups strawberry puree. Transfer it to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.
TO MAKE THE SGROPPINO
The lemon ice cream and cold strawberry puree from above
1¼ cups sparkling wine (see note below)
Note The ideal wine to use for sgroppino is Venice’s fresh and fruity native sparkler, Prosecco, which is available abroad in many shops that sell Italian wine. If you cannot obtain it in America, look for a substitute among non-Champagne-method wines, such as some of California’s or Germany’s bulk-produced sparkling wines, or a Crémant from France. A true Champagne-method sparkler has a yeastier, more complex flavor than is desirable for this preparation.
1. Put the lemon ice cream in a bowl, and break it up with a spoon. Add half the strawberry puree, beating it into the ice cream with a whisk.
2. Add half the sparkling wine, briefly whipping it in with the whisk.
3. Add the remaining puree and wine, beating them in to form a soft, foamy mixture. Do not work it too long or it will become too liquid.
4. Pour the sgroppino into glass coupes, individual dessert bowls, or wide-mouthed stemmed glasses, and serve at once.
Frozen Tangerine Shells Filled with Tangerine Sorbet
For 6 to 8 servings
FOR THE TANGERINE SHELLS
6 large or 8 small tangerines with unblemished, intact skins
1. Wash the tangerines in cold water. Neatly slice off their tops in one piece, leaving enough of an opening for you to extract the fruit, and later to stuff the shell. Set the tops aside. With your fingers, pull out all the fruit sections, working carefully in order not to tear the fragile tangerine rind. Part of the fruit may be pressed to provide the juice needed for the ice, or you can add it to a macedonia, or simply eat it as is.
2. Put the hollowed-out shells and their tops in the freezer. Freeze for at least 2 hours or for as long as you need to until you are ready to use them.
FOR THE TANGERINE SORBET
1 cup granulated sugar
The peels of ½ orange and ½ lemon grated without digging into the white pith beneath
The freshly squeezed juice of 2 large or 4 small tangerines, 1 large or 2 small oranges, and 1 lemon
1 egg white
An ice-cream maker
3 tablespoons rum
1. Put the sugar and 1 cup water into a small saucepan, turn on the heat to medium, and stir from time to time until the sugar has melted. Pour the syrup into a bowl.
2. Add the grated orange and lemon peels, and the tangerine, orange, and lemon juices to the bowl, and mix well with the syrup. Allow the mixture to become completely cold.
3. Lightly beat the egg white until it begins to foam, then stir it into the mixture in the bowl.
4. Pour the mixture into the container of your ice-cream maker, and freeze it following the manufacturer’s instructions. When done, transfer it to a tight-sealing container, stir in the rum, distributing it thoroughly, close the container, and place it in the freezer for 1 hour or even much longer, until you are ready to fill the tangerine shells and serve them.
FILLING THE TANGERINE SHELLS
2 bright, unblemished fresh mint leaves for every tangerine
1. Take out the frozen tangerine shells and their tops.
2. Take the tangerine sorbet out of the freezer and stir to redistribute some of the rum that may have separated from it. Spoon the sorbet into the hollowed-out shells. There should be enough sorbet in each shell to come up slightly above the rim.
3. Place 2 mint leaves on each sorbet, with their tips draped over the edge of the frozen shell. Put the tops over the shells, setting them slightly askew, to show both the mint and some of the sorbet.
4. Return the filled shells to the freezer, and serve after 45 minutes.
Granita—Coffee Ice with Whipped Cream
Granita di caffè con panna was the most welcome sign that Italian cafés used to put out in summer. On an afternoon slowed down by the southern sun, it was one of the best ways to while away the time, watching life dawdle by as you let the granita’s crystals melt on the tongue, spoonful by spoonful, until the roof of your mouth felt like an ice cavern pervaded by the aroma of strong coffee. Unfortunately and inexplicably, granita has largely disappeared. You can easily make it at home, however, and with the food processor it is even easier to do than it used to be.
For 6 to 8 servings
1½ cups very strong espresso coffee, more concentrated than you would usually make it
1 tablespoon sugar or more, to taste, plus 2 teaspoons sugar
A bowl kept in the freezer
1 cup very cold heavy whipping cream
1. Make the coffee and while it is still hot, dissolve the tablespoon or more of sugar in it. When the coffee is cold, pour it into ice-cube trays, filling them to a depth no more than ½ inch.
2. When the coffee has frozen into cubes, and you are ready to serve, take the bowl out of the freezer, put in the cream and the 2 teaspoons sugar, and whip it with a whisk until it becomes stiff.
3. Unmold the coffee cubes and put them in the food processor bowl. Run the metal blade, turning it on and off 4 or 5 times, until the frozen cubes have been ground to fine crystals, granita. Put the granita into individual glass bowls or stemware, top with the whipped cream, and serve at once.
FOCACCIA, PIZZA,
BREAD, AND OTHER
SPECIAL DOUGHS
Focaccia
BEFORE THERE WAS an oven, there was bread. It was baked in the hearth, where the dough was flattened over a stone slab and covered with hot ashes. From this hearth bread—panis focacius (focus is Latin for hearth)—comes today’s soft, leavened focaccia.
Focaccia always starts out with an olive-oil enriched, salted dough, which may either be baked plain, or topped with onion, rosemary, sage, olives, bacon, and other flavorings. Focaccia is most closely associated with Liguria, the Italian Riviera, and with its principal city, Genoa. In many cities of the north, in fact, it is not called focaccia at all, but pizza genovese, Genoese-style pizza. In Bologna, however, if you are looking for focaccia, the appropriate word to use is crescentina; in Florence, Rome, and a few other parts of central Italy, it is schiacciata. If you ask for focaccia in Bologna or Venice, you will be given a very sweet panettone-like cake, studded with candied fruit and raisins.
Focaccia with Onions, Genoese Style
THE DOUGH in the recipe given here produces a thick, tender focaccia with a crisp surface, which you can top with sautéed onion in the Genoese style, as described below, or vary in one of the alternative ways indicated, or devise a suitable variation of your own.
For 6 servings
FOR THE DOUGH
1 package active dry yeast
2 cups lukewarm water
6½ cups unbleached flour
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
FOR BAKING THE FOCACCIA
A heavy-duty rectangular metal baking pan, preferably black, about 18 by 14 inches or its equivalent
Extra virgin olive oil for smearing the pan
A baking stone
A mixture of ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons water, and 1 teaspoon salt
A pastry brush
FOR THE ONION TOPPING
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups onion sliced very, very thin
1. Dissolve the yeast by stirring it into ½ cup lukewarm water, and let it stand about 10 minutes or slightly less.
2. Combine the yeast and 1 cup of flour in a bowl, mixing them thoroughly. Then add the 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon salt, ¾ cup water, and half the remaining flour. Mix thoroughly until the dough feels soft, but compact, and no longer sticks to the hands. Put in the remaining flour and ¼ cup water, and mix thoroughly once again. When putting in flour and water for the last time, hold back some of both and add only as much of either as you need to make the dough manageable, soft, but no
t too sticky. On a very damp, rainy day, for example, you may need less water and more of the flour.
3. Take the dough out of the bowl, and slap it down very hard several times, until it is stretched out lengthwise. Reach for the far end of the dough, fold it a short distance toward you, push it away with the heel of your palm, flexing your wrist, fold it, and push it away again, gradually rolling it up and bringing it close to you. It will have a tapered, roll-like shape. Pick up the dough, holding it by one of the tapered ends, lift it high above the counter, and slap it down hard again several times, stretching it out in a lengthwise direction. Reach for the far end, and repeat the kneading motion with the heel of your palm and your wrist, bringing it close to you once more. Work the dough in this manner for 10 minutes. At the end, pat it into a round shape.
4. Smear the middle of the baking sheet with about 2 tablespoons olive oil, put the kneaded, rounded dough on it, cover it with a damp cloth, and leave it to rise for about 1½ hours.
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking Page 68