Sous Vide Mocha Semifreddo

Italian semifreddo lends itself wonderfully to the Anova Precision Cooker. As with all custards made using the sous vide method, the steady heat produces a silky custard. Mixed with the strong coffee, whipped cream and bits of chocolate, then frozen for 12 to 24 hours, this is the perfect recipe for the summer. Tip: Use the darkest chocolate you can find for the chopped chocolate as the bitterness makes a nice complement to the rich frozen custard.

Author

Barbara Freda

I grew up in a cooking family and after getting a degree in Spanish and Anthropology, realized what I really wanted to do was to go to culinary school. After working in a NYC bank for a few years, I managed to get to culinary school and got my first jobs in NYC kitchens, including a long stint at Union Square Cafe in its earliest years. After (sadly) leaving NYC, I realized I needed to step away from the 80-hour work weeks, so I left the heat of the kitchen for the cool of the computer keyboard: I started writing about food, the business of food, and technology in the food industry, as well as teaching cooking classes. Recipe development remains one of my top loves, and the opportunity to develop recipes for Anova has been fun every step of the way.

Prep Time: 12:20

Recipe Time: 01:00

Temperature : 167F / 75C

Ingredients

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup (237 ml) whole milk
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup (59 ml) granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons (59 ml) instant coffee crystals
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) dark rum
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) heavy cream
• 1/3 cup (79 ml) dark chocolate chocolate chips, chopped

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 167ºF (75ºC).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, egg yolks, sugar, coffee crystals, rum, and vanilla. Transfer to a large zipper lock bag and seal using the water immersion technique.
3. Place the bag in the water bath and set the timer for 1 hour. Every 10 minutes, remove the bag and and shake to mix. (Use a dishtowel if the bag is too hot to handle.)
4. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath and immediately transfer to an ice bath. (I cooled it flat in a cake pan for even faster cooling results.)

Finishing Steps

1. While custard cools, whip the cream to stiff peaks.
2. Snip a corner off the cooled custard bag and pipe into whipped cream. Gently fold custard into cream.
3. Fold all but 2 tablespoons (30 ml) chopped chocolate into custard mixture.
4. Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap with generous overhang on sides. Transfer custard into prepared pan. Smooth the top.
5. Fold the plastic wrap over the top of the custard. Freeze until solid, 12 to 24 hours.
6. To serve, unwrap the frozen semifreddo. Place a plate on top of the pan. While holding the plate against the pan, quickly flip so that the pan is now resting on plate. Gently remove the pan and plastic wrap. Garnish with the remaining chopped chocolate. Slice and serve.