Gelo di melone (Sicilian Watermelon Pudding)
Ingredients
- 1 liter of watermelon juice made from one small watermelon (see Notes)
- 100 g 3-1/2 oz sugar, or more to taste
- 80 g-100g 3-3-1/2 oz potato or corn starch, or other thickener
- A pinch of cinnamon
- 1-2 cloves optional
- A few jasmine blossoms optional
Optional enrichments:
- Dark chocolate cut into small bits, or pre-bought chocolate chips
- Zuccata or candied pumpkin, cut into small bits
Toppings:
- Ground pistachios
- Shavings of dark chocolate
- Jasmine blossoms
Instructions
- Put all but a cupful of the watermelon juice is a saucepan over a gentle flame.
- Add the starch to the reserved juice and stir vigorously until the starch is completely dissolved into a slurry. Add the slurry, along with the sugar, cinnamon and, if using, the cloves and/or jasmine blossoms to the saucepan, and let everything come to simmer, whisking the mixture all the while to avoid the formation of lumps. Once the mixture has thickened up, let it simmer for a minute or two and turn off the heat.
- Transfer the thickened watermelon juice to a mixing bowl, passing it through a sieve if you like to ensure perfect smoothness and strain out the blossoms. Let the mixture cool almost completely. If using, fold in the chocolate bits and zuccata (candied pumpkin).
- Now pour the pudding mixture into dessert bowls (or, if you prefer, individual molds). Place in the fridge and let chill for at least 2 hours. Some recipes call for a whole day's stay in the fridge; the longer you let it chill, the firmer your pudding will be.
- Serve your Sicilian Watermelon Pudding, either in the dessert bowls or unmolded onto small plates, with any or all of the listed toppings.
Notes
Watermelon juice is no trouble to make at all. A small watermelon should produce about 1 liter of juice, which is what you need for 4-6 servings. If you have a juicer, just cut up the watermelon into chunks, removing any seeds, and juice away. Otherwise, purée the watermelon in a blender, then pass the purée through a sieve placed over a bowl to eliminate the pulp.