Olive Oil Gelato with Sea Salt

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Ice cream maker with frozen bowl
• •Medium heavy-bottomed saucepan
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Instant-read thermometer (optional but helpful)
• •Freezer-safe container

Instructions

1. 1

   Warm the milk and cream

   Combine the milk, cream, and half the sugar in a medium saucepan. Set it over medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the mixture steams gently, just below a simmer. Do not let it boil. You want warmth, not violence.

   If your milk comes from a local dairy, even better. The fat content in fresh milk varies with the season and the pasture.
2. 2

   Prepare the yolks

   While the milk warms, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and fine sea salt in a bowl until pale and slightly thickened. This takes about two minutes of steady whisking. The color will shift from deep orange to a soft yellow.

3. 3

   Temper the eggs

   Slowly pour about half a cup of the warm milk mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly. This brings the eggs up to temperature gently so they do not scramble. Then pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk, whisking as you go.

4. 4

   Cook the custard

   Return the saucepan to medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom and corners where eggs like to set. Cook until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 8 to 10 minutes. When you draw a line through it with your finger, the line should hold. The temperature should reach 170 degrees if you are measuring.

   Patience here. If you rush and scramble the eggs, you will need to start over. Low heat and constant motion are your friends.
5. 5

   Strain and cool

   Pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl to catch any bits of cooked egg. Press the custard through with a spatula. You want silk, not texture. Set the bowl over an ice bath if you have one, or simply let it cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

6. 6

   Add the olive oil

   Once the custard has cooled to room temperature, pour in the olive oil in a slow stream while whisking steadily. The mixture will emulsify, turning slightly paler and more opaque. Taste it now. You should get the grassy, peppery notes of the oil coming through the sweet cream. This is what you are freezing. If the oil does not taste alive, the gelato will not either.

7. 7

   Chill thoroughly

   Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Cold custard freezes faster in the machine, which means smaller ice crystals and a smoother texture. Do not skip this step.

8. 8

   Churn the gelato

   Pour the chilled custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions, usually 20 to 25 minutes. The gelato is ready when it holds soft peaks and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It will still be soft, like thick soft-serve.

   If you do not have an ice cream maker, pour the custard into a shallow pan and freeze, whisking vigorously every 30 minutes for about 3 hours until set.
9. 9

   Freeze to set

   Transfer the churned gelato to a freezer-safe container, pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent ice crystals. Freeze for at least 2 hours until firm enough to scoop but still yielding. Gelato is meant to be served softer than American ice cream.

10. 10

    Serve with salt

    Scoop the gelato into small bowls or cups. Drizzle each portion with a thread of your best olive oil. Scatter a few flakes of sea salt over the top. Serve immediately. The salt dissolves as you eat, creating little bursts of salinity that make the olive oil flavor bloom. This is the moment.

Chef Tips

• •The olive oil is everything. Buy the best you can find and taste it before you use it. A tired or rancid oil will ruin this gelato. Look for oils pressed within the last year, with harvest dates printed on the bottle.
• •Flaky sea salt is not the same as fine sea salt. You want those delicate crystals that crunch and dissolve, not a uniform salinity. Maldon from England or Jacobsen from Oregon both work beautifully.
• •This gelato pairs unexpectedly well with fresh stone fruit in summer. A few slices of ripe peach or apricot alongside the scoop turns dessert into something memorable.
• •Let the gelato sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping. Italian gelato is served at a warmer temperature than American ice cream, around 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit warmer. The texture should be almost spoonable.

Advance Preparation

• •The custard base can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept refrigerated. In fact, overnight resting improves the texture.
• •Churned gelato keeps in the freezer for up to 2 weeks, though the texture is best within the first few days. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent freezer burn.
• •If the gelato freezes too hard, let it soften at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. It should yield easily to a spoon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 125g)