What a scoop!: Mint stracciatella
Stracciatella (meaning ‘raggedy’) is like a choc-chip, where molten chocolate is run through the gelato towards the end of its churning, creating fine chocolate shreds. You could omit the stracciatella for a plain mint gelato. But why would you?
MAKES about 1 litre / 15 scoops
130g granulated or caster sugar
40g skimmed milk powder
stabiliser: 1 level tsp locust bean gum powder; or 2 tbsp starch (arrowroot or cornflour)
640ml whole milk
40g glucose syrup (liquid glucose), or light runny honey
200g mint, with stalks (a really massive handful)
150ml double cream
50g dextrose powder or icing sugar
45g dark chocolate (70%), finely chopped
15g cocoa butter or coconut oil
- In a small bowl, stir the sugar, milk powder and stabiliser powder together thoroughly.
- Put the milk and glucose or runny honey in a saucepan. Heat gently until barely simmering. Pour the contents of the bowl into the warm milk mixture in a steady stream, stirring as you go. Continue to stir until the mixture just returns to the boil, then remove from the heat.
- Cover the pan and leave the base to cool to room or fridge temperature. (It will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge if allowed to cool, then refrigerated immediately.)
- Have ready a large pan of boiling water and a bowl of iced water. Blanch the mint for literally 10 seconds in the boiling water (stalks and all), then drain and immediately refresh in the iced water. Drain the mint again and squeeze it dry.
- Blend the mint with the cream, dextrose powder or icing sugar and the base. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pressing to get all the goodness out. (Discard the contents of the sieve.)
- Transfer the contents of the bowl to your ice-cream machine and churn until fully firm. While the gelato is churning, gently melt the chocolate together with the cocoa butter or coconut oil in a bowl set over a small pan of simmering water. (Or, use a microwave on low.) Allow the melted chocolate mixture to cool almost to room temperature.
- When the gelato is as firm as you’d normally say it was ready, but certainly before it balls up on the paddle, pour in the chocolate in a steady stream with the ice-cream machine still running. The paddle will break the chocolate mixture into shards as it solidifies. A slower pour will yield finer strands; faster will be chunkier.
- Before serving, put the mint Stracciatella in the freezer for half an hour or so to firm up. If it has been stored in the freezer longer and is too firm, allow it to soften in the fridge until scoopable.