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Inside The New York Botanical Garden

Mario Batali’s Edible Garden Recipe of the Day: Strawberry Gelato

Posted in Mario Batali's Edible Garden on September 7 2011, by Ann Rafalko

From August 27 – September 25, families can explore Mario Batali’s Edible Garden in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden and enjoy daily gardening activities and cooking demonstrations showcasing kid-friendly recipes with the chance to sample and search for ingredients in the garden. We are posting the recipes from Mario Batali’s Edible Garden here on the NYBG blog, Plant Talk, so check back often.

Strawberry Gelato

Gina DePalma, Executive Pastry Chef, Babbo
Recipe Courtesy of Dolce Italiano, Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen (W. W. Norton & Company, 2007)

Strawberries at The New York Botanical Garden Greenmarket1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
6 large egg yolks
1/2 pound cleaned, sliced strawberries
An additional 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Place the heavy cream, milk, and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Scrape the vanilla bean and add the seeds and bean pod to the pot, and place over medium heat.

Meanwhile, whisk the remaining egg yolks well with the remaining tablespoon of sugar in a large bowl. When the milk/cream mixture comes to a boil, remove the pan from the heat. Add a splash of the hot liquid to the bowl with yolks, and immediately begin to whisk vigorously. Slowly whisk in the remaining liquid, then return the entire mixture to the saucepan and continue to whisk for about a minute or so. Strain the gelato base through a chinois or fine-meshed sieve to remove any bits of cooked egg.

Allow the gelato base to cool completely in the refrigerator, whisking occasionally so it will cool evenly. While the gelato is cooling, place the cleaned strawberries in a blender or food processor along with the additional 3 tablespoons of sugar. Pulse to achieve a chunky puree, but do not over process or the strawberries will liquefy.

Stir the strawberry puree into the cold gelato base to thoroughly combine them. Immediately transfer the gelato to an ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Makes about 3 1/2 cups of gelato