Strawberry Gelato
(Makes 2½ quarts)
Ingredients:
3 cups cut-up strawberries
6 cups milk
1 1/3 cups sugar
12 beaten egg yolks
Several drops red food coloring (optional)
Instructions:
Place berries in a blender container or food processor bowl; cover and blend or process till nearly smooth.
In a large saucepan combine 3 cups of the milk, the sugar, and egg yolks. Cook and stir over medium heat till mixture coats a spoon. (Dip a spoon in the custard and draw a line with your finger through the coating. The custard is done when the edges along the line keep their shape.) Remove from heat. Stir in remaining milk, berries, and food coloring, if you like.
Cover surface in a 4- to 5-quart ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer’s directions. Ripen 4 hours. Garnish each serving with fresh fruit, if you like.
Ripening Tip: To ripen the ice cream, cover the canister with waxed paper, plastic wrap, or foil, and replace the lid. Plug the hole in the lid with a cork. Push the can back down into the ice. Pack additional layers of ice and salt into the freezer to cover the top of the can. Use 1 cup salt to 4 cups of ice (the higher proportion of salt will make the ice cream colder and harder). Cover the freezer with newspaper or a heavy cloth to keep it cold. The ice cream needs to stand for 4 hours to develop flavor and texture.