Cantaloupe Grappa Semifreddo
Post date
Tuesday, December 22, 2009 - 09:06
Source of Recipe
Gourmet | August 2009
Serves/Makes/Yields
6 to 8
Recipe Description
A semifreddo is an Italian soft-frozen custard mousse. Grappa, which is floral and just a little edgy, bumps the musky, intoxicating sweetness of the melon up a notch.
Ingredients
1 pound peeled chopped cantaloupe (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/4 cup grappa (preferably grappa di Moscato d’Asti) 3/4 teaspoon grenadine (for color; optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 large egg yolks
3/4 cup heavy cream
Preparation
- Line loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang at each end.
- Purée melon with 1/3 cup sugar, grappa, grenadine (if using), and salt in a blender until smooth.
- Transfer to large metal bowl and stir in yolks.
- Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and beat with mixer until pale, thick, and tripled in volume and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 8 minutes.
- Remove bowl from saucepan and set in a large ice bath.
- Continue to beat until cold, about 6 minutes.
- Beat cream with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in other large bowl using cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks.
- Fold whipped cream into cantaloupe mixture gently but thoroughly.
- Pour mixture into pan and freeze, loosely covered with plastic wrap, until firm, at least 5 hours.
- Uncover top and invert semifreddo onto a plate.
Cooks' note: semifreddo keeps 1 week.