Extra Virgin (36 page)
Authors: Gabriele Corcos
2 sticks (½ pound) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled, plus more for greasing the pan
1 large egg, separated
2 large egg yolks
1 shot (1½ ounces) grappa or rum
FILLING
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
To make the dough:
In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, granulated sugar, salt, and lemon zest, and mix for 30 seconds. Scrape in the vanilla seeds and add the butter. Mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
In a small bowl, mix together the 3 egg yolks and the grappa. Add it to the dough mixture while the machine is running and mix on medium speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the dough detaches from the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a work surface and shape it into a disc. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Meanwhile,
to make the filling:
In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, cream, egg yolks, and whole eggs. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Butter an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
On a floured surface, roll the dough to a round about ⅛ inch thick and gently place it in the tart pan. Press the dough lightly against the sides. Using your fingers, press the dough against the rim of the pan to cut off the excess dough. Using a fork, poke the dough
all the way through to the pan surface several times. (This will allow the oven’s hot air to come through.) Brush the dough with a thin layer of the egg white.
Place a baking sheet on the rack below the tart to protect the oven from spillage. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the edges of the dough look golden and crisp. Remove the tart shell from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 300ºF.
Place the tart on a baking sheet and pour the filling into the warm shell. Tap gently on the counter to release any excess air bubbles in the filling. Return the tart to the oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until the filling appears firm but with a slight jiggle in the center.
Remove from the oven and let cool for about 30 minutes. Remove the tart from the pan sides and sprinkle evenly with the confectioners’ sugar. Using a crème
brûlée torch, caramelize the sugar on top. Serve immediately.
COFFEE GRANITA
GRANITA AL CAFFÈ
SERVES 8
The flavored ice treat known as granita is immensely popular in Italy’s hot months. The younger set likes to cool off with fruity granitas, and coffee or liquor is great for a more sophisticated flavor. For our coffee version, rather than just pouring espresso over freshly scraped ice, we use a freezing and refreezing technique that takes a little more time, but results in a fantastic, fluffy ice-and-coffee taste.
2 cups freshly brewed espresso
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (not going all the way through)
In a medium bowl, stir together the hot espresso and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Let cool for 20 minutes, then pour into a wide plastic container, cover with a lid, and freeze for 1 hour.
Remove from the freezer. Using a fork, break up the ice, stir it, cover with the lid, then return it to the freezer. Repeat this process every 30 minutes for 3 hours, until the coffee ice is translucent and like crystals.
Place the cream in a medium bowl and scrape in the vanilla seeds. Mix with a hand mixer on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft peaks form.
Serve the coffee ice in tall thin glasses, each topped with a tablespoon of whipped cream. The
coffee
granita
will stay good in the freezer for a couple of days.
TIRAMISÙ
SERVES 8
D:
I love what tiramisù means—“pick me up.” But it wasn’t until I had it in Tuscany that I came to appreciate it. All the tiramisu I’d had before were overlayered, containing too much cream, and intensely sweetened. More like, “pick me up then watch me crash.”
G:
That’s because American tiramisu often uses heavy cream and sugar. Real mascarpone cream is actually an unsweetened cream cheese, buttery but not sweet. A proper tiramisu achieves the right balance of coffee, cookie, chocolate, and cream.
D:
It’s like getting a complex dessert without cooking or baking.
5 large fresh organic eggs, separated
½ cup sugar
1 pound mascarpone
Pinch of salt
2 shots (3 ounces) rum or Italian Marsala (optional)
3 cups brewed coffee sweetened with 2 tablespoons sugar, cooled
14 ounces savoiardi cookies (Italian ladyfingers)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup shaved dark chocolate, for garnish (optional)
In a medium bowl, beat together the egg yolks and ¼ cup of the sugar until light and creamy.
In a separate medium bowl, work the mascarpone with a wooden spoon until all lumps are eliminated. Add the egg yolk mixture and mix well.
In a third medium bowl, combine the egg whites, salt, and remaining ¼ cup of sugar, and beat until they reach a slightly firm but fluffy consistency. Gently fold the egg white mixture into the mascarpone mixture, one ladle at a time, stirring from the bottom up to help maintain as much volume as possible, until the egg whites are fully incorporated. Stir in the rum (if using).
Place the coffee in a fourth medium bowl. Dip each cookie into the coffee (don’t soak the them; you want them to retain their firmness) and then arrange in a 7 × 11-inch glass baking dish until the bottom is covered. Over the first layer of cookies, spread half the mascarpone cream, and dust with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder. Repeat with another layer of cookies, mascarpone cream, and cocoa powder.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours. Garnish the top with the shaved chocolate and serve chilled.
OLIVE OIL GELATO
with cherry compote
GELATO OLIO DI OLIVA CON COMPOTE CILIEGIA
MAKES 1½ QUARTS
G:
Deborah and I developed this as a tribute of sorts to my Nonna, who has spent so much of her life making food and passing down recipes. So we wanted to show her how well we could interpret her advice and guidance. She never made ice cream, but by infusing a vanilla gelato with olive oil from our property, it was a way of giving her thanks. There’s a piece of our land in everything we do.
D:
It’s almost like a memory of olive oil is inside, since it’s not about overwhelming the gelato, but finding that back flavor, that hint of sweet bitterness you get from high-end olive oil. With the added tartness of cherries on top, it’s a lush, beautiful merging of flavors.
2¾ cups whole milk
1¼ cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (not going all the way through)
7 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Cherry Compote
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the milk and heavy cream. Scrape in the vanilla seeds and add the vanilla pod. Bring to a very low simmer over medium heat, stirring often.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil and beat vigorously for 1 minute, until completely emulsified.
Slowly ladle about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Add the warmed egg mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk and stir for 5 to 6 minutes, until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
Strain the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a large 8-cup measuring vessel. Let cool, then cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 3 hours, or until well chilled. (This can also be refrigerated overnight.)
Using an ice cream maker, freeze the custard according to the manufacturer’s directions, at least 30 minutes, until it achieves a soft-serve consistency. Transfer to the freezer, and freeze for 1 hour, or until firm. The texture of gelato should be creamy, so be careful not to freeze it for too long.
Serve in bowls topped with warm
Cherry Compote.
CHERRY COMPOTE
COMPOTE CILIEGIA
MAKES 2–3 CUPS
1 quart cherries, pitted
1 tablespoon sugar, or more to taste
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 to 3 tablespoons dark rum, to taste
In a 2-quart saucepan, combine ½ cup water, the cherries, sugar, and lemon zest and bring to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring so the sugar dissolves completely. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the cherries just begin to break up. (Depending on the ripeness of your cherries, this may take longer.)
Remove from the heat and stir in the rum. Return it to the heat, ignite the compote safely with a long-handled lighter like a long fireplace match, and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute to reduce the alcohol content. Blow on the flame to extinguish it.
Serve warm over the
Olive Oil Gelato
.