Summer is in full swing, which means it’s time to dust off the ice cream maker! Stracciatella ice cream takes its name from stracciatella mozzarella, the creamy filling inside burrata, and from a traditional egg-drop soup from the Rome region, where beaten eggs form delicate, shredded ribbons. In 1961, Enrico Panattoni of the restaurant La Marianna in Bergamo took inspiration from that soup and created the now-famous ice cream flavour. Warm melted chocolate, drizzled into the churning ice cream, instantly hardens into delicate, crisp shards – and it’s hard to imagine anything more delicious! This version also includes creamy ricotta and crunchy pistachios for a true taste of Italy.
Makes about 1.1 litres.
Ingredients for stracciatella ice cream with ricotta and pistachios:
- 400 ml whole milk
- 200 ml double cream
- 4 large egg yolks
- 130 g caster sugar
- 150 g ricotta
- 60 g chocolate (55–66% cocoa solids)
- 50 g pistachios, roughly chopped
Pour the milk and double cream into a saucepan and heat gently until just beginning to boil.
Meanwhile, place the egg yolks and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until pale, thick and fluffy.
Gradually pour in half of the hot milk mixture, whisking continuously. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and cream. Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens slightly and lightly coats the back of the spoon. Remove from the heat immediately and do not let it boil, or the custard will curdle. Add the ricotta and stir until completely smooth. Cover the surface of the custard with cling film, making sure the film is touching the mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Leave to cool, then chill overnight in the fridge.
Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Towards the end of churning, add the chopped pistachios and the chocolate. (Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie or in the microwave, transfer it to a piping bag with a small snipped-off corner, and drizzle it in a thin stream into the churning ice cream. The chocolate will set instantly into delicate, crisp flakes.)
Without an Ice Cream Maker:
Whisk the thoroughly chilled ice cream base, pour it into a freezer-safe container and freeze. For the first 3 hours, whisk or blend the mixture every 30 minutes to break up any ice crystals and keep the ice cream light and creamy. Towards the end of freezing, add the pistachios and drizzle in the melted chocolate exactly as described above, then freeze until firm.
Enjoy!
Recipe by: Julia Busuttil Nishimura.
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