PISTACHIO PASTE & GELATO Recipe: rafting the perfect pistachio gelato begins with a meticulous process, where each step contributes to the sublime taste and texture that enthusiasts crave. The journey commences with the creation of the essential ingredient: pistachio paste.
PISTACHIO PASTE & GELATO RECIPE
INGREDIENTS, for the pistachio paste
1½ cups [375 ml] shelled unsalted pistachio nuts
2/3 cup [160 ml] granulated sugar
½ cup [125 ml] whole milk
Optional
1 tsp [5 ml] pistachio or almond extract
Heat a small saucepan of water until it boils. After two minutes, add the shelled pistachio nuts and simmer. This will blanch the nuts, making it simpler to peel and crush them afterwards.
To fully cool the nuts, drain and rinse them under cold water after two minutes.
Using paper towels, pat dry the nuts. Peeling the nuts is necessary if they are still in their skins because utilizing skin-on nuts will alter the gelato’s texture and color.
Just pinch a pistachio between your fingers to remove the skin, which should come off easily.
Place the blanched and skinned nuts in the bowl of a food processor, followed by the sugar, to produce the paste. Pulse the nuts until they are finely ground, pausing sometimes to scrape down the basin.
When the mixture is as smooth and creamy as the food processor can make it, add the whole milk and process (some little pieces of pistachio will remain, but that’s okay). Transfer the pistachio paste to a mixing bowl and use a stick blender to further purée it for an even smoother texture.
Whisk the pistachio base into a batch of Classic or Sicilian-Style gelato base to make pistachio gelato. Whisk in a teaspoon (5 ml) of almond or pistachio extract, if preferred. Transfer into an ice cream maker’s bowl. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for freezing. When the gelato is cold but still soft, turn off the machine.
After moving the gelato to an airtight container, freeze it for two hours or until it solidifies. Freeze-stored, the gelato can last for up to two weeks. To soften and facilitate scooping, bring the gelato to room temperature ten to fifteen minutes before serving.
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