Fiordilatte ice cream

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PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Ugo Alciati

The most classic ice cream and the easiest to prepare at home is certainly fiordilatte ice cream. With its creamy texture and delicate taste it goes well with all other flavors, such as chocolate and fruit. It is irresistible even in winter, maybe with warm zabaione (egg cream), with marron glacé or with nougat crumbs at Christmas time! Whatever the season or occasion you want to enjoy it in, the first thing to do is to choose the best ingredients. The type of milk used makes the difference, it is the starting point to obtain an excellent product, as explained by chef Ugo Alciati who has created a fiordilatte ice cream with few ingredients: his milk is obtained strictly from Piedmontese white cows that produce only 9-10 quarts per day compared to the 60-70 quarts from a traditional farm, ensuring a superior, rich, nutritious, and tasty product. Vanilla seeds, carob powder, fresh cream and sugar are added to it. In addition to excellent ingredients which are wisely blended, rest times are also important to make a good ice cream... but we do not want to reveal too much! You will discover step by step everything you need to do to achieve a special taste and perfectly creamy texture! If you want to add a gourmet touch to this recipe, as suggested by chef Alciati, you can serve fiordilatte ice cream with an apricot coulis and a cascade of chocolate crumbs.

INGREDIENTS
Ingredients for 3 1/3 lb of ice cream
Whole milk 1 quart (1 l)
Heavy cream ¾ cup (190 g) - cold
Sugar 1 cup (230 g)
Vanilla bean 1
Carob powder ½ tsp (2.5 g)
Preparation

How to prepare Fiordilatte ice cream

To prepare the fiordilatte ice cream, first pour the milk into a small pot 1 and place over a moderate heat. In the meantime, cut the vanilla bean and scrape off the seeds 2, add them to the milk 3.

Mix from time to time to prevent the milk from sticking to the bottom 4 and let it reach the boiling point.In the meantime, combine sugar and carob powder in a bowl 5; mix until they are well blended, without lumps 6

As soon as the milk starts to boil, take it off the heat and while whisking continuously add the powder mixture very slowly 7; this way you will avoid the formation of lumps. When the mixture is well blended 8, return the pot to the heat and simmer, stirring well and continuously 9

At the first signs of boiling, move the pot into a fairly large bowl filled with water and ice 10.Keep stirring with the whisk 11. This will allow the temperature to drop rapidly and you will be able to reduce the bacterial load that develops between 140°F (60°C) and 70°F (30°C). As soon as the temperature drops below 70°F (30°C) you can add the cold cream 12. Keep stirring with the whisk to combine it.

The base is now ready, cover the pot with plastic wrap 13 and refrigerate for 4 to 12 hours. Take the pot out of the refrigerator and stir with a whisk 14, as the sugars may settle on the bottom and the fat may rise to the surface. Now, depending on your ice cream maker, take the required amount of mixture, pour it inside the machine 15

and turn it on 16. The churning will last about 40-50 minutes, which may vary depending on the machine used. The rest of the mixture can be stored in the refrigerator to be churned later. As soon as the mixture has reached a creamy consistency 17 you can switch off the machine.If you want to taste it immediately using two dampened spoons, take the single portions "quenelle" style with the help of two spoons 18

and fill the various cups 19 20. Serve the ice cream quickly 21, otherwise you can freeze it in an airtight storage container, though it will be less creamy. 

Storage

Fiordilatte ice cream should be enjoyed as soon as it is ready, but if you prefer you can keep it in the freezer for a few days (you can keep it even longer but it will lose its aroma and texture), bearing in mind that it will be less creamy.

Chef Alciati's advice for perfect ice cream

nstead of carob powder, you can use 1/2 cup (50 g) of cornstarch. Choose organic milk because it will guarantee an excellent product from controlled farming.

The vanilla bean emptied of the pulp can be used: blend it together with sugar and use it to prepare cakes and cookies.

The cream should be added cold from the refrigerator because the valuable fats it contains are burned when it is added warm. We used one with a fat content between 38 and 40%. 

Letting the ice cream base rest in the refrigerator ensures that the carob powder absorbs moisture, the sugar melts and the mixture is blended well. For the best taste, milk-flavored ice cream should be consumed as soon as it is prepared. Alternatively, if you plan to freeze it, you could use it to make an ice cream cake!