Olive Oil Gelato

Olive oil and Gelato won’t make it. That’s what you’re thinking, right? They’re one of those couples that would rather bicker and roll their eyes at each other than anything else. They’re just too incompatible. One prefers to savor life, especially long leisurely meals full of good wine and even better conversation. The other, while sweet, prefers life on the go, rarely loitering around for anyone no matter how interesting.  How could such a couple ever resolve their differences?

With some quality time in the freezer I say.

The idea for this recipe was a result of a delightful saunter down memory lane. In college I participated in a Study Tour to Italy. It was there that I was introduced to both olive oil and gelato. I’d brushed shoulders with olive oil in salads and such of course, but I had never appreciated it as a food in it’s own right. In Italy, however, olive oil graced every table- lunch, dinner, and even breakfast- whether it was drizzled over pasta or pooled in a dish for dipping bread in.

Gelato was no less ubiquitous. Shops like this one seemed to be on every corner.

Unlike olive oil, I had no passing acquaintance with gelato, so our first meeting was without foreshadowing. My first night in Italy, a few of my friends and I braved the Roman streets in search of the nearest gelateria. We pointed and mimed our orders and then took our scoops outside. As we sampled each other’s flavors, I felt like the children in the Lickable Wallpaper room at Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. The espresso gelato tasted like a shot of espresso! The orange gelato tasted like oranges, not the fake orange flavor of Tang! Had there been a snazberry flavor, I have no doubt it would have tasted exactly like snazberries. Somehow the Italians had managed to distill the essences of the best food into their gelato.

So, when I was thinking of the best way to showcase olive oil, my thoughts naturally turned to the tables of Italy. And, as with any of my thoughts of Italian food, gelato was not far behind. And then it occurred to me- why not? Why not make an Olive Oil Gelato? It seemed true to all I had tasted and learned in Italy about food. Gelato let the essence of a food shine. No mix-ins, no extra flavors to distract the tongue. It made what was socially unacceptable, acceptable – eating olive oil straight off a spoon. Now the only problem was creating it.

A question to Mr. Google proved that as fresh as the idea of olive oil gelato was to me, it was not so original as I thought. It seems celebrity chef Mario Batali has been serving it in one of his restaurants for several years now. However, with recipes ranging from 1 to 2 cups of refined white sugar, there was still work for me to do. I substituted raw honey for the sugar, and because I think honey is much sweeter that sugar, I was able to cut it down to 1/2 a cup. However, from previous ice cream related research, I knew that the sugar content was what kept the gelato from turning into a solid block of ice in the freezer. To keep the creamy texture, therefore, I added a shot of limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur, which I think compliments this Italian inspired treat beautifully. I’d imagine you could use any alcohol- from flavorless vodka to a strong brandy. Just don’t be tempted to add more than a shot, or else your gelato will never ever freeze. Also, unlike other ice cream recipes, this recipe begins with an emulsion instead of a cooked custard. Not cooking it not only allowed me to keep all the delicate (and heat sensitive) flavors of the olive oil intact, but also all the nutrition of the oil, egg yolks, raw milk, and cream. Because the emulsion is what keeps the gelato together, don’t skimp on the beating times, even though they seem long. The most important thing to remember in this recipe, however, is to use the best unrefined extra virgin olive oil you can get, because there is little else to disguise the flavor of a bland oil.

However you eat it, savor the rich taste of olive oil, but don’t dilly dally too long or your gelato will melt!

Tags: dessert, Foodcraft, gelato, olive oil