Grapefruit, Pineapple, Basil, Coconut Milk Gelato



When I was working for a flavor company, fruity tropical drinks were all the rage. To this day one of those flavor profiles I cannot shake. Grapefruit pineapple basil, that I worked on a big beverage company's project for a South American bottled drink. Thinking about it now makes my mouth water. It is sweet, tart, with a herbal basil aroma. I boosted this flavor profile by using light coconut milk as the base, and potentiating the flavors with a touch of salt. The flavors had to steep in the fridge (for several hours), and the texture had to be like velvet. Therefore, nothing could be cut or ground to so fine to the point where I could not strain it. Garnish. This cannot be some plain looking gelato. It needed embellishment. I decided to highlight the two main flavors: pineapple, which was sliced thin and dried in the oven at a low temperature; and basil leaves, which were fried at a very low temperature in vegetable/canola oil. I put the garish in a container of granulated sugar to protect them and sugar coat. 

Grapefruit, Pineapple, Basil, Coconut Milk Gelato
Ingredients:
  • 1 whole grapefruit (juiced)
  • ~2/3 pineapple
  • 1 can coconut milk (12 oz), unsweetened
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves, chiffonade (cut into very thin strips)
  • 1/2 tsp Salt


Directions:
  1. Blend or mill very rough/coarse the fruit + coconut milk + sugar + salt. Turn into large bowl.
  2. Add in the basil. Stir. Chill in fridge for several hours, preferably overnight.
  3. Strain before putting into ice cream maker.
  4. Garnish with crystallized pineapple and basil leaf.

Serve immediately if you prefer a soft-serve texture.  Turn into an airtight freezer-proof container and allow to firm up in freezer for a couple of hours if you want a harder texture to scoop.

-Erin Swing
Swing Eats

 This is part of Food Network's Sensational Sides Feast. Check out The FN Dish.  This week we're focusing on frozen treats.  On twitter, we're tagging #SummerSoiree.  Here’s the link to our Summer Soirée Pinterest board: http://pinterest.com/foodnetwork/lets-pull-up-a-chair/  Other amazing frozen treat recipes to try out from our other friends:





For a savory frozen treat:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Long John Silver's Style Fried Chicken Planks (gluten-free)

Image
I only eat fried foods a few times a year, at most.  If you are gluten-intolerant, you understand.  It's damn near impossible to find safe non-contaminated fries at a restaurant, let alone gluten-free fried foods.  My favorite fried chicken was Long John Silver's chicken planks.  Ah, heaven.  Perfectly delectable battered chicken with no bones or fuss.  Personally, I'll take it over KFC any day.  I rarely make fried food because it's not the healthiest, nor the cleanest to make, the multiple batches of frying while keeping target temperature, and keeping your cool over the hot oil.  Yes, those are chopsticks in the top picture.  I found it easiest to use them to dredge the chicken in the batter, as well to turn and remove from the cooking oil.  This tastes exactly like how I remember LJS's chicken, even if it has been twelvish years for me!  Make this for loved ones to share - they won't know nor let alone care that it is gluten-free.  This chicken is so perf
Read more

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Image
So continues Food Network's Fall Fest with squash. The first thing to come to my mind, as I sure most people's minds, is butternut squash soup. With good reason. It's comforting, warm, hearty, rich, and not that difficult to make. Most soups start with a mirepoix (onions, carrots, and celery), which creates the aromatic foundation. Then add in cooked tender squash, stock, seasonings, and puree. That simple. Well, I find the most difficult aspect is the handling of the butternut squash. Every time I break one down, I curse at myself for not buying a cheap work horse cleaver from the Asian market. Hence I prefer to roast the butternut squash split in the oven. Then it works it easy to scoop out and add into the stock pan. Roasting adds a great depth of flavor from the Maillard reaction: the browning reaction (think meats, caramel, etc) that breaks down proteins and carbohydrates into small tasty flavor molecules. I add the mirepoix on the baking sheet to roast with the squ
Read more

Spooky Halloween Buckeyes

Image
Buckeyes are the confectionary for the state of Ohio.  They resemble the nut of the Ohio buckeye tree.  It's a confection made from a peanut butter fudge mostly dipped in chocolate, leaving a circle on top visible.  To make them festive for the season, I topped them with candy eyes I purchased to a cake and candy store.  I think they look adorable with the eyes - more adorable than spooky.  These are homemade Halloween treats that are easy to make and everyone loves, if they like peanut butter.  In this batch I added in a little bit of the fall spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice) which created a little bit of warmth and depth, but not necessary. Spooky Halloween Buckeyes Ingredients: Creamy Peanut Butter, 1 1/2 cups Vanilla Extract, 1 teaspoon Butter, Salted, 1/2 cup softened at room temp. (add in 1/2 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter) Powdered/Confectioners Sugar, 3 cups, or as needed Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, 1 package/12 ounces Coconut Oil
Read more