Olive Oil–Cacao Nib GelatoMakes 1 quart (950ml) | From Amanda Hesser
If you have a bottle of olive oil you’ve been saving for a special occasion, bring it out now. Whisk the olive oil into a creamy gelato base and the floral, peppery flavors head just a smidge toward “sweet.” Food52 contributor Yossy Arefi’s turn on Amanda’s recipe is to add cocoa nibs, crunchy like chocolate chips but fruity and bitter like olive oil. They’re in no way necessary, but certainly a welcome bite in this smooth-as-aioli gelato.
3⁄4 cup (150g) sugar
3⁄4 cup (175ml) whole milk
Pinch of salt
4 egg yolks
6 tablespoons (90ml) good-quality olive oil
2 tablespoons cacao nibs
1. In a saucepan, whisk together the sugar, milk, 6 tablespoons (90ml) water, and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. While the mixture is heating, in a large
bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.
2. When the milk mixture has come to a gentle simmer, gradually whisk it into the egg yolks. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 185°F (85°C) on a candy thermometer. Be careful not to let the mixture boil, which will scramble the eggs and ruin the base.
3. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl, and refrigerate to chill completely, at least 4 hours but ideally overnight. When the ice cream base is cold, whisk in the olive oil; the base will be thick and glossy.
4. Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. During the last minute of churning, add the cacao nibs.
Magic Shell Former Food52 editor Marian Bull taught us how to make our own Magic Shell, that stuff you drizzled copiously over every scoop of ice cream, watched harden, then broke into like a little monster while growing up. For 1 cup (240ml) of the good stuff, chop 6 ounces (170g) good-quality chocolate (dark, preferably) and add it to a microwave-safe container with a scant 1⁄2
cup (110g) coconut oil. Melt in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until liquid. Pour over ice cream (or milkshakes). Then, magic! Magic Shell will stay liquid in a hot kitchen and solidify after sitting in a cold kitchen or the fridge. You can remelt it in the microwave.
Copyright © 2017 by Editors of Food52, Foreword by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.