Just Desserts Blood (Orange) Gelato

By AzWench

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh blood orange juice (from 4 to 6 oranges)
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon grated blood orange zest
• Mint leaves for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

In a small saucepan, bring the orange juice to a simmer over medium-low heat. Continue simmering until the juice reduces by one-third and becomes syrupy, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

Combine the egg yolks with the sugar in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until thick and pale yellow, 4 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the milk to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan.

Stir about one-half of the warm milk into the egg-sugar mixture (to warm it up so the eggs won't curdle) and whisk to blend. Pour this mixture into the milk remaining in the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap onto the surface of the mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Stir the orange syrup into the custard and freeze in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. Sprinkle with the orange zest and garnish with mint leaves before serving.