Roasted strawberry gelato recipe

When I first began our garden years ago, it was just a patch. Humble and hopeful. We salvaged old bricks found on the property to shape out the beds, and I had collected rosemary and lavender cuttings on my bike rides to the grocery store, bringing home little snippets of the French countryside in my basket. We tucked in a tray of gariguette strawberries too. My husband loves them and how could we not? Their scent is unmistakably French. Bright, sweet, and full of promise.

The rosemary has since grown into small trees that I’m forever trimming back. The lavender has wandered off to other corners of the yard to add colour and scent. And the strawberries? They’ve limped along. Not every year brought a bounty, and even when they did, we were up against the slugs. We kept tending to them anyways. Ever hopeful.

And then this spring happened.

We’d added more compost, tucked chives between the rows for flavour, and suddenly the strawberries took off like never before. The leaves grew tall and proud and when they began to fruit… oh, they delivered. Every morning, I’d walk out with a bowl and come back berries slipping over the edges and leaving my hands sweet and stained.

With the red currants ripening at the same time, I knew I wanted to do something a little extra. Something that still tasted like sun-warmed fruit but felt a little more special. This roasted strawberry gelato recipe is exactly that.

It’s silky, rich, and just tart enough to balance the sweetness. The roasted fruit brings out a depth you can’t get any other way, and the red currants, if you have them, add a subtle, “je ne sais quoi.” But don’t worry. If you’re without currants, the strawberries are more than enough to carry the show.

This is the kind of recipe that feels like a reward for patience, weeding and watering.

I’d love to know if you grow your own berries or have a favourite way to use up a big harvest? Tell me in the comments below or share your version of this gelato and be sure to tag me. I’m always excited to see how you get on! Alright get to it! Try my roasted strawberry gelato recipe and tell me it wasn’t rich and delightful!

Roasted Strawberry Gelato Recipe

Rich roasted strawberries become the base for this perfectly creamy gelato

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Course: Dessert

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 450 g strawberries
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbst lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp corn syrup
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup cream
• 60 g red currants (optional)
• 150 g sugar

Equipment

• Ice cream maker

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F
2. Combine strawberries, 2 tbsp sugar, lemon juice, salt and corn syrup in a medium sized glass or ceramic baking dish
3. Bake for 30-40 minutes stirring occasionally until the strawberries have darkened and juices have begun to thicken.
4. Meanwhile mix together cornstarch and just enough of your cream to make a slurry and set aside.
5. *If you're using the red currants, place them and the 150g of sugar into a pot and gently heat them so the currants burst and let their juices out. Once you've got a beautiful red syrup, strain the mixture to remove the seeds.
6. Once the seeds are removed you can add the remaining cream (without the corn starch) and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
7. Give your slurry a little whisk before adding it into the pot, increase the temperature a bit and bring it to a boil while continuing to stir and when it thickens you can remove it from the heat and set aside
8. When the strawberries are finished cooking, blend the strawberries with a hand mixer to ensure a nice texture with no "icy" strawberry bits later.
9. Mix together blended strawberries and cream mixture and place in the fridge to cool completely (several hours or overnight)
10. Once everything has fully chilled place it in your ice cream machine and let it churn until you get the desired texture which will depend on your make and model.
11. You can serve it immediately or put it in a freezer safe container and enjoy this taste of spring later into the season. It will firm up a bit more, but if you need let it sit on the counter 5 minutes before scooping.

Notes

*If you omit the red currants you can mix together remaining cream and sugar and gently heat. The goal here is just to avoid putting fresh currants and cream together to avoid any possible curdling.