Picture-Perfect Passionfruit Gelato

Chef Rory Macdonald demonstrates his take on an ice cream sundae in the latest 4 Levels episode on Epicurious.

Epicurious shares four approaches to frozen dessert with an amateur cook, advanced home cook, pro chef from ICE and food scientist's spins on the ice cream sundae. On this episode, Chef Rory Macdonald prepares passionfruit three ways in a restaurant and Instagram-worthy treat.

By Rory Macdonald — ICE Chef

Rory Macdonald is the former chef of New York City's Patisserie Chanson and its subterranean Dessert Bar. He's known for molecular gastronomy and tableside presentation, with experience working for the Hakkasan Group and Gordon Ramsey after launching his career in Europe. Read more about Chef Rory.

July 19, 2019

The keys to Chef Rory's elevated ice cream interpretation are consistency, texture and flavor combination. The Pacojet machine's powerful blade turns anything into a puree with perfect texture; passionfruit seeds and dehydrated passionfruit provide flavor and texture as garnishes; and the tartness of the passionfruit cuts through the richness of the banana in the final dish.

The food scientist notes that his combination of cream and pureed fruit has less milk fat than custard-style ice cream and a less creamy mouthfeel; glucose and fructose freeze at lower temperatures than regular sugar for a sweeter flavor and softer consistency; and the Pacojet's rapid spin minimizes the size of ice crystals for a smooth ice cream.

Chef Rory's pro tips for working with these fruits: Scoop out banana seeds to maintain freshness and save the passionfruit seeds to reduce waste and complement the dish with a great garnish.

"This gelato's fantastic in the summer when it's really hot and humid to help you guys cool down," Chef Rory says. Watch the video for a sneak peek at his technique and get the complete recipe below.

Recipe

Banana-Passionfruit Gelato

Yields 15 portions

Ingredients

For the sorbet syrup

100 grams trimoline
250 grams sugar
500 grams water

For the gelato

500 grams fresh bananas
75 grams fresh passionfruit juice
25 grams lemon juice
470 grams sorbet syrup
100 grams cream

Equipment

Pacojet
2 beakers

Directions

To make the sorbet syrup, in a large pot, boil all ingredients together. Chill.
Cut the bananas in half lengthwise with the skin on. Using a small teaspoon, carefully scoop out the seeds in the middle (this stops oxidation and prevents the banana from turning grey). Weigh the bananas, chop up and place in Pacojet beaker.
Cut the passionfruit in half and scoop out the seeds over a sieve, so you can collect the juice and separate the seeds. Weigh the juice and add to the bananas. Place the saved seeds in a large of pot of water, and rapid boil for one hour (this cleans the seeds for use as a garnish).
To finish the sorbet, add the rest of the weighed ingredients to the beaker, and feeze until totally solid.
When frozen, paco in the Pacojet.
Scoop, garnish with the cleaned passionfruit seeds and some dehydrated passionfruit for added texture.

Learn more advanced pastry techniques in ICE's CAPS classes.