Lemon Balm Gelato
Is there anything better than scoop of gelato after a day at the beach?
I don't think so.
Frozen treats always seems to taste best when there's sand between your toes.
It's funny how 'time and place' can have such a powerful effect on the way we experience flavour. My better-half often reminds me of this phenomenon when I try to bring a ton of food and wine home from our travels. I know he's right, the experience of drinking a glass of Chianti among the vineyards where the grapes were grown will never match the experience of the same glass of wine in my own backyard.
Nevertheless, I persist.
My suitcase is always crammed full of groceries on the way home from every trip. I continue to spend countless hours in my kitchen, testing different recipes and ingredients, trying to reproduce the flavours that I remember from our adventures. I've come close, but I don't think I've ever totally nailed one. The best I can hope to achieve is a dish that evokes the memory of an experience, and that's OK with me.
This gelato recipe is the result of my efforts to recreate a soft melty scoop infused with Lemon Verbena that I devoured after a glorious day at the beach in Rimini. It's unique citrus flavour takes me right back to Italy ... I can almost hear the animated voices of the Bocce ball players.
Lemon Balm Gelato
Since I've had no luck growing Lemon Verbena in my garden, I'm using Lemon Balm to make this gelato. The two herbs are similar, except Lemon Verbena is little stronger, so I've added some lemon zest to compensate. The flavour is bright, fresh, and lemony.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups whole milk
- one big bunch fresh lemon balm - about 3 cups loosely packed leaves
- the zest of one lemon - finely grated
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
Method:
Wash and dry the lemon balm. Roughly tear the leaves, pinching them between your fingertips to bruise the leaves. This will help release the herbs flavour, and make your hands smell wonderful.
In a medium saucepan combine 2 1/2 cups milk, lemon zest, and the lemon balm, and bring slowly to a gentle boil over medium heat.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and cover. Let the flavours infuse for 30-45 minutes.
Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and discard the solids.
Return the infused milk back into the pan.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and sugar. Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup milk until the cornstarch has dissolved.
Reheat the infused milk over medium heat to a gentle simmer and quickly add the cornstarch mixture, whisking all the while in order to avoid lumps.
Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to whisk for 5-6 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly.
Transfer to a bowl and allow the gelato base to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, cover the surface of mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, overnight is best.
Remember to put the bowl of your ice cream maker in the freezer to chill overnight too.
When your are ready to make your gelato, add the heavy cream into the base and whisk to combine.
Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturers instructions.
The gelato will be the texture of soft serve ice cream when it's done.
I think it tastes best when consumed immediately after churning. To serve later, transfer to a covered container and store in the freezer for up to a week. Let the gelato soften in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before scooping.
It was this post on Instagram that led us to visit Rimini, a photo of a swing along the waters edge. I desperately wanted to be the girl on that swing. We walked through the shallow waves until my legs were like jello, but despite our valiant effort, we never did find that swing. The beach in Rimini goes on for 15km and I am easily distracted by gourmet gelato. So, once I spotted a Gelateria with a handwritten menu listing flavours like Strawberry Balsamic, Honey Fig, and Lemon Verbena I was helpless to resist. My fantasies of gliding through the air with my toes dipping into the surf were soon forgotten. Really good gelato has that effect on me.
Discover the very best artisinal gelato in Italy by following these handy guidelines.
