Pistachio Gelato

Instructions

1. Place the pistachios in a food processor and grind until they are a fine powder. Be careful not to over-process, or they’ll turn into a paste.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the pistachio powder, milk, and half of the sugar. Heat over medium heat until it’s hot but not boiling, stirring occasionally. This should take about 5 minutes.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and cover it with a lid. Let it steep for about 30 minutes to infuse the milk with pistachio flavor.
4. Strain the pistachio milk through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Push on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
5. Reheat the pistachio milk over medium heat until it’s warm, not hot. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining sugar until light and creamy.
6. Gradually whisk about a cup of the warm pistachio milk into the egg mixture to temper the eggs. This helps to prevent them from scrambling when you add them to the hot milk.
7. Return the egg and milk mixture back to the saucepan with the remaining pistachio milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. This should take about 8-10 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and pour through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract, cream, and salt.
9. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.
10. Once the mixture is cold, pour it into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This usually takes about 20-25 minutes.
11. Transfer the gelato to a lidded container and freeze for at least 2 hours or until firm. Serve as desired.
12. Tip: If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into a shallow dish, freeze it, and stir every 30 minutes for 2-3 hours to achieve a similar texture.