Strawberry Rhubarb Semifreddo Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S STRAWBERRY SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Line 10 ramekins with plastic wrap and place them onto a baking sheet.
• Hull strawberries with the tip of a knife. Place strawberries in a food processor. Add sugar, Greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle in a tiny pinch of salt. Pulse on and off to combine; finish pureeing on high until smooth.
• Whisk heavy cream in a bowl until soft peaks form. Add the strawberry puree. Stir and fold with a spatula until most of the major streaks disappear. Fill ramekins 1/4 to 1/8 inch from the top with the strawberry mixture. Tap baking sheet against the counter to settle the tops. Cover ramekins in plastic wrap and freeze until mostly firm, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, place cookies in a resealable plastic bag. Seal; crush cookies through with a rolling pin to get 1 1/2 cups of crumbs. Place crumbs into a bowl; add butter and mix well.
• Divide the cookie crumb mixture among the ramekins and smooth out with the back of a spoon. Cover again and freeze until completely frozen, about 2 hours.
• Toss diced strawberries with sugar in a bowl. Let rest at room temperature until a syrup forms below the strawberries, about 1 hour.
• Warm up each ramekin in your hands to help unmold the semifreddo; invert onto a plate. Top with the strawberries in syrup. Thaw for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

VANILLA SEMIFREDDO WITH RHUBARB COMPOTE

Steps:

• Lightly oil a 9-inch round cake pan and line it with plastic wrap, tucking the wrap into the corners and smoothing it out completely with your hands. Let the excess plastic drape over the sides of the pan.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream at medium speed, until it forms stiff peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to another bowl, cover, and chill while you make the rest of the dessert. Wash and dry the mixing bowl and whisk attachment.
• Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Use a paring knife to scrape the seeds and pulp into the mixing bowl. Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and half of the sugar, and mix at high speed with the whisk attachment about 3 minutes, until the mixture is thick and light-colored and has doubled in volume. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Wash and dry the mixing bowl and whisk attachment.
• Whip the egg whites at medium speed about 1 minute, until frothy. Turn the speed up to high, and slowly pour in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Whip on high speed about 4 minutes, until stiff peaks have formed.
• Fold the chilled whipped cream into the yolk mixture. Then gently fold in the egg whites, a third at a time. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and tap the pan on the counter three times. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the surface, smoothing it with your hands (wrinkles in the plastic wrap will leave lines on the semifreddo). Fold the draping plastic wrap over the edges, and freeze for at least 4 hours.
• Take the semifreddo out of the freezer 10 minutes before serving. Spoon a little rhubarb compote onto six plates. Cut six slices from the semifreddo and place them on the plates over the compote. Spoon a little more compote over the top of each slice of the semifreddo. Pass the remaining compote at the table.
• Cut the rhubarb stalks in half lengthwise, and slice crosswise into 1/2-inch-long pieces.
• Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and use a paring knife to scrape the seeds and pulp into a medium pan. Add the vanilla pod, sugar, and 2 tablespoons water. Without stirring, bring the ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Continue cooking for about 8 minutes, swirling the pan once in a while, until you have a deep golden brown caramel. Immediately toss in half the rhubarb and all the wine. The caramel will seize up and harden slightly. Turn the heat down to medium and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, breaking up the rhubarb, until it's jammy. Stir in the rest of the rhubarb and 1/2 cup water. Cook a few minutes until the rhubarb is tender but not mushy. Remove the pan from the heat, and strain the rhubarb over a bowl. Return the liquid to the pan, and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Meanwhile, stir 1 tablespoon water into the cornstarch (this is called a "slurry" and will help thicken the fruit juices). Whisk the slurry into the liquid, and let it come back to a boil, stirring continuously. Cook over medium heat a few minutes, until the liquid is shiny and thickened. Pour the liquid back into the bowl, and stir in the rhubarb. Chill before serving.
• The semifreddo needs to be made at least 4 hours ahead (preferably the day before), so it has time to set completely.

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In food processor, process cookies and walnuts until finely ground. Press crumbs onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Bake until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool.
• In medium saucepan over moderate heat, combine sliced strawberries, rhubarb, and 1/3 cup sugar. Simmer, stirring often, until soft, about 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
• In large metal bowl using handheld electric mixer, beat eggs and remaining 1/2 cup sugar until foamy. Beat in hot strawberry-rhubarb mixture. Place bowl atop saucepan of barely simmering water and beat at moderately high speed until instant-read thermometer registers 140°F, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and continue beating 3 minutes more. Remove bowl from saucepan and let custard cool, stirring occasionally, until room temperature. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
• In large bowl, combine mascarpone, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and vanilla. Using handheld electric mixer with clean beaters, beat mixture at low speed until combined. Gradually beat in remaining cream, then beat at moderately high speed until mixture just holds stiff peaks. Fold mixture into chilled custard, then pour into springform pan, smoothing top. Wrap well in plastic wrap and freeze until firm but not frozen solid, about 3 hours.
• To serve, unwrap and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes to soften slightly. Place tart on serving platter and remove sides of pan. Garnish with remaining strawberries.