Semi freddo (the Italian for half cold) is considered a half frozen dessert and is made from egg yolks, cream, sugar and any flavouring you fancy.
It is a good alternative to home made ice cream, if you don’t have an ice cream machine, as you don’t have to churn the semi freddo mixture, simply freeze it and then place it in the fridge for a while to soften a little before you serve.
You can freeze it in individual moulds or in one piece as we’ve done here to serve as a birthday cake.
As we are currently Autumnal down here in the Southern Hemisphere we’ve used chestnuts to flavour our semi freddo along with Pedro Ximenez sherry. We’ve served it with figs, pears and rhubarb poached in red wine syrup, thrown in some raspberries and strawberries for good measure and pistachio slivers for colour.
In our mild climate, where our autumn weather is starting the day at 12°C and peaking at 24°C, I think we can consider ourselves semi freddo too.
Rosie
CHESTNUT AND PEDRO XIMENEZ SEMI FREDDO WITH AUTUMN FRUITS IN RED WINE VINEGAR.
Serves 10
Semi Freddo
6 egg yolks
85 gm caster sugar
130 ml Pedro Ximenez sherry
250 gm sweetened chestnut puree (tinned works well)
70 gm honey
500 ml thickened cream
Line with baking paper a straight sided terrine mould approximately 25 x 8 x 7.5cm high.
Whisk egg yolks, caster sugar and Pedro Ximenez in a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water, whisking constantly until the mixture is thick, pale and fluffy.
Allow to cool completely before whisking in the chestnut puree and honey. If the chestnut puree is stiff, mix it with a tablespoon of warm water to a smooth consistency before whisking into the egg mixture.
Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Whip cream and fold into the chilled chestnut mixture.
Spoon the semi freddo mixture into the prepared terrine mould, smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap and freeze.
Autumn Fruits in Red Wine Vinegar
100 ml red wine vinegar
100 gm caster sugar
200 ml water
1 vanilla pod, halved and seeds scraped
½ bunch rhubarb, cut into 3cm pieces
3 pears, peeled and balled using a melon baller
1 pear, unpeeled, finely sliced using a mandolin
5 figs, quartered
10 large strawberries, quartered
125 gm raspberries
Place vinegar, caster sugar, water and the vanilla pod and seeds into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes to reduce slightly. Add the rhubarb and simmer until just cooked. Remove to a serving dish. Add the pear balls to the syrup and simmer until just cooked. Remove and add to the rhubarb. Add the pear slices and poach very briefly so they soften but don’t fall apart. Remove and add to the rhubarb and pear balls. Allow the syrup to cool completely before pouring over the fruit. Just before serving add the figs, strawberries and raspberries to the rhubarb and pears. Toss gently to coat with the syrup.
To Serve
2 tablespoons blanched pistachio slivers
For presentation, un-mould the semi freddo onto a serving plate. Top with selected pieces of poached fruit along with a little sauce. Sprinkle with pistachio slivers.
To serve divide the semi freddo into 10 slices, place a slice on each of 10 plates, surround with poached fruit and sauce, and serve.