Semifreddo

Ingredients

• For the base
• 4 egg yolks
• 120 g caster sugar, divided: 80 g for yolks, 40 g for meringue syrup
• 40 ml water, for the Italian meringue syrup
• 2 egg whites, at room temperature
• For the flavour
• 120 g flavoured base, choose one: melted dark chocolate, espresso, fruit purée, hazelnut paste, or zabaglione with Marsala
• For the cream
• 400 ml double cream, well chilled; beaten to soft peaks only
• To line
• 1 sheet plastic wrap, generous enough to overhang a 900 g loaf tin on all sides

Method

1. 1
   Line a 900 g loaf tin with plastic wrap, pressing it into the corners and leaving a generous overhang on all four sides. Refrigerate the lined tin until needed.
2. 2
   Prepare the flavoured base — melt the chocolate, pull the espresso, pass the fruit purée, or work the nut paste — and allow it to cool completely to room temperature before proceeding. The base must be cold to the touch; a warm base will melt the cream on contact.
3. 3
   Whisk the egg yolks with 80 g of the caster sugar until the mixture is pale, thick, and falls from the whisk in a slow ribbon. Fold the cooled flavoured base thoroughly into the yolk mixture until fully combined and uniform in colour.
4. 4
   Make the Italian meringue: dissolve the remaining 40 g of sugar in 40 ml of water in a small saucepan and boil to the soft-ball stage (118–120°C). Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Pour the hot syrup onto the whites in a thin, steady stream, whisking continuously, and beat until the meringue is glossy, stiff, and the bowl is cool to the touch.
5. 5
   This is the step on which the dish lives or dies. Whip the chilled double cream to soft peaks only — the cream should just hold a drooping shape and still flow slightly; stiff peaks will not fold without deflating. Working with a large rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the flavoured yolk base in two additions with slow, wide arcs that preserve every bubble. Fold the Italian meringue through last, with the same patience, until the mixture is airy, uniform, and cloud-like.
6. 6
   Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface level. Fold the overhanging plastic wrap over the top to seal. Transfer to the freezer and freeze for a minimum of 6 hours, or overnight.
7. 7
   Remove the semifreddo from the freezer 10–15 minutes before serving. Invert the tin onto a chilled serving board, lift away the tin, and peel off the plastic wrap. The surface should be smooth and hold a clean edge. Dip a long knife in hot water, wipe it dry, and cut the semifreddo into slices approximately 2 cm thick. The blade should pass through with slight resistance, and the cut face should be uniformly airy — no dense or icy pockets.