This is Stracciatella, Or, Little Rags of Happiness
One Word, Three Dishes. Sometimes, It's Cheese, Sometimes It's Soup...But This is Gelato!
Stracciatella. The translation of this is little rags, tatters, shreds of meat, egg, cheese, that are turned into a Roman Soup, (similar to Egg Drop Soup) or a Cheese from Puglia, made by combining the leftovers from your mozzarella making with some fresh cream resulting in a burrata like treat…but best of all in my opinion… Gelato!!!!!
People see this and say… Oh! Chocolate Chip Gelato!!!! But, looking closely, these aren’t chocolate chips in the gelato, these are fine flakes and pieces. How do they do that?????? Lots of chopping??? Nope, far easier than that, and I’m going to tell you how to do this yourself.
This type of Gelato originated up in the north of Italy, in Lombardy where according to legend back in 1961, the owner of La Marianna restaurant decided to make a gelato that resembled the soup with it’s shreds of eggs, only this was gelato, and his shreds were delicious dark chocolate!
This gelato is traditional Sicilian gelato, where the ratio is more milk than cream, and unlike ice cream, eggs are omitted and the gelato is thickened with cornstarch in the cibo povero (peasant kitchen) Sicilian fashion. Up in Tuscany, where my people come from, it’s called la cucina povera. Either way, for peasant food this stuff rocks!
Only one warning here, the gelato base is made the night before (it only takes a few minutes) then left to refrigerate overnight. The next morning start making your gelato and enjoy! You will need an ice cream maker to make this. I have two very basic ones I bought, one refurbished 20 years ago for a few bucks on line, and the other brand new for about 75 bucks on Amazon. Anyway, I’ve churned the hell out of these machines over the years and they were a great investment. Just saying.
Stracciatella
Here’s What You Need:
2 cups of whole milk
1 cup of heavy cream (whipping cream)
1 vanilla bean split lengthwise (or 2 tsps vanilla extract)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 and 1/2 Tbs cornstarch
3.5 oz dark chocolate
Here’s What To Do:
In a medium sized pan heat 1 cup of the milk, and all of the cream, add the split vanilla bean if that’s what you’re using. If you’re using vanilla extract we’ll add that later.
Warm this stuff until it just starts bubbling at the edges, you do not have to boil this.
Meanwhile in a small bowl mix the remaining cup of milk, the sugar, and cornstarch together.
Take the pan of hot milk and cream off the heat and whisk in the milk, sugar and cornstarch blend.
Put the pan back on the heat and stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to thicken. This takes about 6 to 8 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat add in the vanilla extract. If you’re using the vanilla bean instead, leave it in there. Pour everything into an airtight container, let it cool to room temperature, then put it into the fridge over night.
Now For the Little Rags:
To make the gelato, FIRST REMOVE that vanilla bean and toss it. Its’ work is done. Pour the gelato mixture you made the night before into your ice cream machine and follow directions. After the gelato has been churning about 30 minutes… 5 minutes from being done, take the 3.5 oz of dark chocolate and melt it in a double boiler and slowly pour it right into the ice cream machine while it’s churning. When the melted chocolate hits the churning gelato it hardens and all that spinning breaks it into pieces and shreads, Little Rags. Stracciatella!
When the ice cream is done churning...the whole process takes about 35 minnutes, 30 to start and then 5 after you add the chocolate.
Transfer the gelato to an airtight container and pop it into the freezer to set. After a few hours…..You’re in Italia! Enjoy!!!!
There’s a world of flavors to explore here, and I’m investigating a bunch.
Coming up next :Getting ready for fall. The holidays are on their way with all sorts of culinary delights, coming up fast, one of my favorites, Halloween!
Meanwhile, I’m always around for questions and comments and requests, just give me a shout out, and remember, over here it’s okay to play with your food!
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My son loved stracciatella ice cream! We don't often see it in France. Yours is perfect and your secret to getting the flakes is fascinating! I never wouldv'e imagined!