Semifreddo con Radicchio e Yogurt
Essere un lecca pentole
To be a pot-licker, a compliment for a food-lover
Many pastry chefs from the Treviso area have been inspired to create a variety of dessert dishes using the region’s famed raddichio di Treviso. This one is my favorite!
Radicchio is transformed into an exquisite marmalade and added to yogurt to create an exceptionally sophisticated semifreddo.
I’ve remade this recipe, without the radicchio, dozens of times. It’s a terrific basic! I really love the fact that with just a container of yogurt and some gelatin I can create a quick and healthy dessert. Substitute other flavor marmalades or make it without marmalade just topped with a drizzle of flavored honey.
Ingredients:
For the marmalade:
8 ounces Radicchio, preferably Radicchio Variegato Castelfranco or Radicchio Treviso
1 tablespoon unsalted Butter
½ cup granulated Sugar
Zest of ½ Lemon
2 tablespoons sweet Liqueur such as Amaretto
2 tablespoons Grappa, optional
For the semifreddo:
1 packet unflavored Gelatin
16 ounces plain European style thick Yogurt
½ cup chestnut honey or flavored Honey, warmed
Preparation
For the marmalade: Cut the radicchio in very thin strips, then mince the strips. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a saucepan, stir in the radicchio and simmer for 1 minute. Drain the water.
Add the butter and sugar, stir to combine, and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, at least 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon zest, liqueur, and grappa, if using. Reserve.
For the semifreddo: Put the gelatin into a bowl and mix with 1 cup of boiling water. Stir until the gelatin dissolves, then mix 7/8 of the reserved radicchio marmalade until well combined, reserving the rest of the marmalade for garnish. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then stir in the yogurt until creamy and well combined.
Divide the mixture between 6 ramekins or in one mold, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.
To serve, unmold the semifreddo onto a serving plate and drizzle with honey and garnish with the remaining radicchio marmalade.
Serves 6
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