Sicilian Watermelon Pudding (Gelo di Mellone alla Palermitana)

La storia di questo piatto

Gelo di mellone is Palermo's summer pudding, a watermelon-red quiver of sweetness traditionally set with starch and perfumed with jasmine, cinnamon and Bronte pistachios. It belongs to the island's long habit of turning fruit and flowers into cool, jewel-like desserts, from the Feast of Santa Rosalia to the sultry evenings of August.

Ingredienti

• 800 g Red watermelon flesh
• 60 g Cornstarch
• 60 g Granulated sugar
• 20 ml Jasmine water
• 40 g Shelled Bronte pistachios
• 30 g 70% dark chocolate in flakes
• 1 pinch Ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch Fine sea salt

Preparazione

1. Cut the watermelon into pieces, remove the seeds and blend until you obtain a smooth juice. Pass it through a fine sieve or cheesecloth, without pressing the flesh too hard: you should obtain about 600 ml of intense red, fluid juice.
2. Take 100 ml of cold juice and dissolve the cornstarch in it with a spoon, stirring until all lumps are gone. Pour the rest of the juice into a small saucepan, add the sugar and a pinch of salt, then stir in the dissolved starch thoroughly. The jasmine water (only 20 ml, a concentrated aroma) is added at the end of cooking, off the heat, so the fragrance is not dispersed.
3. Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir continuously with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom, until it comes to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for another 2-3 minutes, still stirring, until the cream coats the spoon and, when drawn across the bottom, leaves a trail that slowly closes. Turn off the heat and incorporate the jasmine water.
4. Pour the still-warm pudding into bowls or glasses and cover with cling film pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours, until the pudding sets and firms up.
5. When serving, garnish each portion with coarsely chopped pistachios, dark chocolate flakes and a pinch of ground cinnamon.