I made this excellent semifreddo for a visit to some friends’ house last weekend. The recipe is from Dolce Italiano, the new cookbook by Gina DePalma, the pastry chef at Babbo. I borrowed the book from the library a couple of weeks ago and have found it completely inspiring; nearly all the recipes look delicious and seem to strike a balance between sophisticated, rustic, interesting, and uncomplicated. I also like the author’s voice, as it seems to give one a sense that she is quite knowledgeable, yet down to earth and not overly caught up in trends. In other words, someone who would be pretty cool to talk to.
The semifreddo has the texture of a frozen mousse, its richness helpfully tempered by the cold. Using tangerine here seems to make the dessert little bit special and fun, and the citrus flavor is not shy - it’s nearly as powerful as the chocolate, with the two bittersweet flavors in smooth harmony. If you don’t want to make the entire dessert, the chocolate sauce is pretty terrific just by itself. Just make a batch to pour over fresh fruit or ice cream, or like me, squirt it directly into your mouth. I can’t wait for a chance to make this dessert again!
Er, why yes, those ARE oranges in the picture…but the tangerines were busy elsewhere…
Chocolate Tangerine Semifreddo
Adapted from Dolce Italiano by Gina DePalma
Make sure to use a very bittersweet chocolate; I think 65% or above is best.
For the semifreddo:
2 tangerines, preferably unsprayed
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks
4 ounces chocolate wafer cookies (such as Nabisco Famous), ground
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup crème fraîche or mascarpone
For the chocolate tangerine sauce:
1 tangerine, preferably unsprayed
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
For the semifreddo:
Zest the tangerines and squeeze them. Reserve 3/4 cup juice, set zest aside.
Place chocolate, cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons sugar, and tangerine juice in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The mixture will boil and begin to thicken. Cook until it is nearly as thick as pudding (about 2-3 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in tangerine zest. Cool for 10 minutes and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
With an electric mixer, beat egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Fold the egg yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the chocolate wafer crumbs.
Clean the mixing bowl and whip the heavy cream and the crème fraîche until it is thick and in soft peaks. Gently fold the cream into the chocolate mixture until completely incorporated.
Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving several inches to hang over. Pour the semifreddo into the pan, press another layer of plastic wrap onto the surface, and freeze for at least 6 hours or until firm.
For the chocolate tangerine sauce:
Zest the tangerine until you have 1 teaspoon zest, and squeeze it until you have 2 tablespoons juice.
Place the chocolate and the butter in a medium metal bowl. Pour in the boiling water and allow to sit for a minute and then whisk together until smooth. Whisk in the heavy cream, tangerine zest, and tangerine juice.
To serve the semifreddo:
Scoop the semifreddo into bowls with an ice-cream scoop or invert it onto a plate, using the plastic wrap and a butter knife for assistance, and slice with a hot knife. Drizzle with warm chocolate sauce.
A couple of notes about the semfreddo: do be sure to line your loaf pan with plastic wrap or parchment. I did not do so and found it rather difficult to slice (hence the small shards in the pictures). The book’s suggestion of dipping the pan in hot water did not work for me…it merely melted the side and left the middle part still stuck in the pan.
How absolutely gorgeous - what a lovely, luxurious combination of flavours… Definitely one to try!
February 6th, 2008 at 7:46 am