CookEat Recipe
Vanilla Custard Gelato
Rich vanilla gelato made with milk and eight egg yolks, with complete coriander, coffee and toasted-almond alternatives.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 1 litre pasteurized whole milk; 200 g caster sugar; 8 egg yolks; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Step 2
Beat the yolks with the sugar in a heavy saucepan, then gradually stir in the milk until smooth. Set over medium heat and stir continuously, reaching into the corners and across the base.
Step 3
As soon as steam rises, reduce the heat. Stir gently until the custard coats a spoon, reaching about 80–82°C and at least 74°C throughout, without boiling. Add the vanilla shortly before taking it off the heat. Strain into a clean bowl if needed to remove small lumps; do not add flour or starch.
Step 4
Cool promptly in a clean bowl set over ice water, stirring and keeping bath water out of the food; refrigerate within 2 hours. Chill the covered mixture at 4°C or colder until thoroughly cold, about 2–3 hours. Churn in an ice-cream maker according to its instructions, usually 20–30 minutes; work in batches if the mixture exceeds the machine’s capacity. Transfer to a covered freezer container and freeze at −18°C for about 2–3 hours until scoopable. Serve promptly and return the rest to the freezer without letting it melt.
Step 5
Coriander alternative: omit the vanilla. Lightly crush 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, simmer them in the full litre of milk for 3–5 minutes, then strain. Restore the strained milk to 1 litre with a little extra milk if necessary. Cool until only warm, then gradually stir into the same 8 yolks and 200 g sugar. Cook, rapidly cool, chill, churn and freeze exactly as above. The seed quantity and infusion time are practical estimates; use seeds, not fresh coriander leaves.
Step 6
Coffee alternative: omit the vanilla. Crush 15 g roasted coffee beans and simmer in 200 ml taken from the litre of milk for 3–5 minutes. Strain finely, measure and restore this infused portion to 200 ml with a little extra milk if needed, then combine with the other 800 ml. Cool to warm, gradually add to the same 8 yolks and 200 g sugar and complete the cooked custard, chilling, churning and freezing method above.
Step 7
Toasted-almond alternative: omit the vanilla and use an additional 100 g blanched sweet almonds and 80 g caster sugar. Split or sliver the almonds and toast gently in a dry pan until golden. Melt the additional 80 g sugar in a separate heavy pan to an amber caramel, stir in the hot almonds and cook briefly to a deep amber without burning. Spread on a silicone mat and let cool fully. Grind the brittle very finely. Simmer it in 200 ml taken from the litre of milk for 2–3 minutes, then strain finely and restore the strained portion to 200 ml with extra milk if needed. Combine with the remaining 800 ml milk, cool to warm and use with the original 8 yolks and 200 g sugar to make the cooked custard. Cool, chill, churn and freeze as above. The almond-caramel flavour is infused into the milk; no hard brittle chunks remain in the gelato.
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