20th
Olive Oil Gelato
As you may know, I recently splurged on a bottle of Frantoia extra-virgin olive oil. I couldn’t really justify the purchase of the expensive EVOO, until Serious Eats posted Mario Batali’s recipe for olive oil gelato. If you ever find yourself at Otto, you must try this gelato. It may sound like a bizarre flavor, but I assure you that it’s an absolute revelation for your mouth. Instant enlightenment.
My mom generously gave me an ice cream maker for my birthday (on sale at BBB for $25), so I was one step closer to my olive oil gelato dream. My first attempt at making the custard base was a disaster. I went the extra mile and bought an instant-read thermometer, all so that I could turn off the heat when the base hit 185°F. Unfortunately, while I was waiting for the thermometer to go up to 185, my base curdled. I’ve heard that you can blend the curdled base and that it will taste fine, but I decided to abort this mission.
Thankfully, my second attempt was a success. Instead of using a thermometer, I heated the mixture until it was thick and stuck to the back of my wooden spoon. I also made sure that my ice cream maker bowl was frozen solid. Failure was not an option!
Mario Batali advises that the gelato is best served on the day it is made. I halved his recipe, but it still yielded too much ice cream to be consumed in one day by one person, even with my strong urge to eat my feelings. It’s going on three days old, and it still tastes delicious. Personally, I’d prefer a stronger olive oil flavor, but you can always drizzle more EVOO before serving. Don’t forget to top with some Maldon salt!
