Institute of Culinary Education chefs are innovating with Italy's Balsamic Vinegar of Modena in sweet and savory dishes and drinks. Here, Creative Director Michael Laiskonis incorporates the ingredient into a beautiful gelato dessert.
Using balsamic in a gelato is a novel way to incorporate its flavors into a composed dessert and one that I've enjoyed for years. I like to utilize both the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena; the former lends acidity, while the latter adds a layer of sweet depth. Adding the balsamic at the end of the cooking process preserves their flavor, while the low fat content of a gelato-style ice cream further allows those flavors to emerge. As part of a composed plated dessert, I like to use this gelato as a foil for fresh fruit or to complement the flavors of nuts and complex dried fruits.
Ingredients
- 600 grams whole milk
- 125 grams heavy cream (36% fat)
- 30 grams nonfat dry milk
- 140 grams granulated sugar
- 30 grams glucose powder
- 4 grams ice cream stabilizer
- 45 grams Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
- 25 grams Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
Directions
- Place the milk and cream in a sauce pan. Whisk in the dry milk, sugar, glucose and stabilizer, and heat, continually stirring, to 85ËšF/185ËšC.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the balsamics; homogenize with an immersion blender. Chill in an ice water bath. Allow mixture to mature at least 12 hours.
- Process in batch freezer; extract the mix at 23ËšF /-5ËšC. Alternatively, transfer the base to PacoJet canisters and freeze; process as needed.
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