It is infinitely easier and more practical to prepare a good semifreddo than a third-rate ice cream. So, if you feel like a change, to set aside for a moment the most typical summer dessert, without having to give up that frozen touch on the palate, which is so appreciated with the heat we are having these days, this dessert will interest you.
Semifreddo is Italian, although it resembles the French parfait. I have not found very reliable or clear information regarding its history. There are those who claim that the ancient Romans invented it. It must be said that although Pliny the Elder spoke of the importance of the ice trade that was brought to the capital from Terminillo, Vesuvius, or Etna and the popularity enjoyed by honey and pomegranate granitas even in those times (come on, we believe that even if they didn’t have refrigerators like ours, they had a blast with the ice they brought from the mountains), I have not been able to find any story that justifies such ancient origins for the semifreddo itself. So, in this case, I personally say I believe it, only because I am very homesick for Rome and until that passes or I return there, I say yes to everything that gives it points in its favor.
It can be made in as many different flavors as ice cream itself, but I chose nougat (turrón), because it seemed to me that it would get along well with any of the forms that some poor figs I had in the fridge, which were turning into jam, could take. Also because, although I sometimes say that my favorite ice cream flavors are others, which sound more exotic, to act cool, I’m afraid my favorite ice cream is nougat… Come on, I’ve acted a bit like Vitti in this clip from Le fate more than once.
By the way. I know it’s not the season for nougat, but, at least around here, many artisanal Valencian ice cream-horchata shops sell it all year round, so don’t be lazy and look for cheap excuses not to make it, because you can buy nougat, even if it is the end of July. If you have a thing against figs, you can accompany it with chocolate, berries, or syrups of whatever you feel like, but no matter how little you like this fruit, I recommend the combination, because together with the pinch of lemon and rum, they are a marvel.
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The card
- Semifreddo:
- 300 g of granulated Jijona nougat
- 300 ml of whipping cream
- 3 large eggs
- 150 ml of water
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- Fig puree:
- 12 very ripe figs
- Half a lemon
- 12 teaspoons of rum
- Whip the cream and leave it in the fridge.
- Cut the nougat with a knife and finish crumbling it with your fingers, until it has a texture similar to coarse sand. (Obviously, you always cook with clean hands)
- Heat the water and sugar in a saucepan and let it boil for 10 min.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks.
- Whip the egg whites until stiff and gradually add half of the syrup. Continue whipping until the heat of the syrup we have incorporated is no longer felt in the bowl.
- Beat the yolks with the rest of the syrup until they take on a fluffy texture. (Patience, they take a little longer than the whites...)
- Mix the nougat with the yolk cream.
- Incorporate the egg whites, mixing delicately with the nougat cream, moving the spatula or spoon from the bottom to the top of the cream.
- Add the cream until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.
- Fill flan-sized molds with the cream, (I used some silicone ones that I use to make muffins), and leave for 3 hours in the freezer.
- Scoop out the figs with a spoon and put the pulp in a bowl.
- Incorporate the juice of half a lemon and the teaspoons of rum.
- Stir with a spoon until you get the puree that will serve to cover the portions of semifreddo when we take them to the table.
