Combine cream and 1½ cups of milk in a heavy saucepan set over medium heat until warm. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ½ cup milk, cornstarch and sugar. Whisk the cold mixture into the warmed mixture and allow it to come to a boil.
Continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes, whisking often, until the mixture is slightly thickened. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Strain the gelato base through a mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a bowl set over an ice bath. Stir the mixture until it is cooled to room temperature. Add salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
At least an hour before the next step, place a jellyroll pan, metal spoon and spatula in the freezer. After an hour, pour a third of the gelato mixture onto the pan in the freezer and freeze uncovered for 20 minutes.
Using a bench scraper or stiff spatula and working from the freezer, scrape the frozen gelato mixture off the pan and into the refrigerated base. With a whisk, stir until frozen gelato is fully incorporated. Pour directly onto the pan without removing the pan from the freezer. Using the spoon or spatula, spread the gelato mix evenly onto the pan. Leave the pan uncovered and close the freezer.
After 45 minutes, check the consistency. The gelato is ready when the sides are frozen and the middle is mostly frozen but not slushy. If the middle appears runny, freeze it for another 15 minutes. Serves 6.
Variations
Vanilla gelato: Whisk 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste into the gelato base after it has cooled and before freezing.
Cinnamon gelato: Follow the vanilla gelato recipe and add 1½ teaspoons of good-quality ground cinnamon.
Sara Haas, RDN, LDN, is a Chicago-based dietitian and co-author of the Fertility Foods Cookbook. Read her blog, The Cooking RD, and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
