Fernet Branca – Gelato al Fernet Branca

Fernet Branca – Gelato al Fernet Branca

Acquire the taste. Say hello to the big daddy of amari. Say hello to Fernet (fur-net) Branca. There are other makers, but when a patron asks for Fernet, the barman knows he wants Fernet Branca from Fratelli Branca Distillerie. Bernardino Branca invented Fernet in 1845, and it is still made according to the original secret formula. Secret, I repeat. The company admits to twenty-seven ingredients from four corners of the globe. Word among the cognoscenti, however puts the figure at upwards of forty. Known are gentian root, rhubarb, gum myrrh, aloe, red cinchona bark and galanga. Saffron is rumored.

Fernet is well appreciated as a digestivo. If ever you feel you have eaten too much, a bit of Fernet will right you. It has been touted as a cure for numerous maladies, and most remarkably during Prohibition, Fernet was imported and sold in the United States for “medicinal purposes only.” Historical fact.

Try it in cocktails or over ice with seltzer or mineral water. Consumed neat, Fernet dwells in the province of the hard core lovers of the beverage. But hang with the young crowd, and you will find it in mixed drinks. In San Francisco it is sold on tap. No jive. In fact, more Fernet is consumed there than anywhere else in the U.S. San Franciscans enjoy theirs with a ginger ale chaser.

And down Argentina way, where Fernet is favored with the club set, and where, by the way, more Fernet is consumed than any place outside of Italy, it’s Fernet con Cola, Fernet and Coca-Cola (and that’s Mexican Coca-Cola made with cane sugar, not high fructose corn syrup like the Coca-Cola produced in the U.S.) The drink is mixed in ratios extending from 1:4 to 1:7, Fernet to Coke. Ever wondered how tango dancers keep going all night? I asked. The answer? “Fernet!” They love it, and Fernet con Cola is huge with the tango crowd both here in Los Angeles and in Buenos Aires.

You’ve heard the saying “Eat dessert first.” Nowhere is this more true than in the case of Fernet. With a taste I would describe as heavy on the saffron with menthol and black licorice, there are those who have compared their first taste to everything from peppermint to mud, even a kick in the throat. It is uncompromisingly bitter with a distinct iodoform overlay. Drinkers grow into Fernet. But try it in my smooth gelato with tiny bits of chocolate or cacao nibs woven through and you will quickly become a convert. Next stop – full freight Fernet consumed neat or over ice.

This gelato is Fernet dressed in a velvet coat, all soft edges and familiar flavors. A custard base is infused with chocolate mint – a particularly mild mint variety with an alluring chocolate perfume. I reduced the Fernet to concentrate its flavor. To my surprise when I added the reduced Fernet to the custard base, the fat in the eggs and cream transformed it, softening and burnishing the taste. The assertive herbal notes retreated, giving way to a heady dose of cola, root beer and chocolate. Do try this at home.

Gelato al Fernet Branca

yield: approximately 1 1/4 quarts

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
5 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons chocolate mint leaves
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup Fernet Branca
1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips OR 1/2 cup cacao nibs

Combine milk, cream, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and chocolate mint leaves in a medium saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally, until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan, a technique known as “scalding.” Remove from heat, cover and steep twenty minutes.

Boil Fernet over medium heat until reduced by half. This will take just a couple of minutes, Transfer to a glass measuring cup and set aside.

Whisk egg yolks and ½ cup sugar in a medium bowl until light in color.

After milk mixture has steeped twenty minutes, skim off and discard mint leaves. Reheat milk briefly and temper the eggs by slowly pouring half of the hot milk mixture into the eggs, whisking all the while. (The slow addition of hot milk will ensure that the eggs do not curdle.)

Return egg and milk mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook until mixture reaches 160 degrees F. or coats the back of a spoon.

Have ready a large bowl half full of ice water. Strain hot mixture into another slightly smaller bowl. Add reduced Fernet and vanilla. Stir to combine. Place bowl over ice bath and cool, stirring occasionally. Cover mixture and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to marry and mellow.

To finish the gelato transfer the mixture to an ice cream or gelato maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions. Just before gelato is ready, add mini-chocolate chips or cacao nibs and stir to combine. Transfer gelato to container and freeze several hours or overnight to cure.

Coca-Cola Float with Gelato al Fernet Branca

I decided to wrap up Food Republic’s Fernet Week with this indulgence. I can hear you now “Adri, you can NOT be serious – it’s November.” But it was ninety-three degrees here this week, and I wanted a fountain treat. And here it is.

1 bottle Mexican Coca-Cola
2-3 scoops Gelato al Fernet Branca

Place 1 or 2 scoops of gelato in soda glass. Add Coca-Cola, leaving about 1inch at top of glass for the last scoop. Carefully place one scoop of gelato in glass. Serve with a straw and soda spoon. Serve remaining Coca-Cola on the side.

Variation: Substitute root beer for the Coca-Cola.

Food Nerd Notes

If you prefer a just a kiss of Fernet Branca, begin with 1/4 cup and reduce to 2 tablespoons.

For the chocolate I started by adding finely chopped Valrhona 85%. Its assertive smoky flavor neither blended with nor enhanced the gelato. Next I backed off to Valrhona 71%. Same deal, although the decreased bitterness was a minor improvement. Overall however, it was still a no go.

Quite possibly, a softer tasting, somewhat sweeter chocolate such as Callebaut would have worked, but having none at hand, I figured it was time to change direction. Another batch, another add-in. This time I grabbed the Nestle’s Mini-Chocolate Chips. The chips had a texture and sweetness that complemented the mint and the Fernet. And they were small enough to flow freely through the straw. Success.

But I was not done. The flavor of Fernet is so sophisticated, so multi-layered, I was after something unique. Then it hit me. Cacao nibs. The size would be right, and their complex bitterness might be perfect. For the uninitiated, cacao nibs are roasted cacao beans removed from their husks and crushed into tiny bits. They are considered to be the heart and soul of chocolate. Their very tiny size and complex taste were perfect.

Which do I prefer? I knew you’d ask. Both are excellent. For a sweeter gelato, go for the mini-chocolate chips. but in the spirit of multi-layered texture and taste, I’d have to lean more toward the cacao nibs.

Cacao nibs are available from Scharffen Berger and sold in supermarkets and at Amazon. The price is approximately $9.00 for 6 ounces.

More Food Nerd Notes

Gelato is a creamy, very intensely flavored frozen dessert. Unlike American ice cream, which is churned for upwards of twenty-five minutes, a procedure that incorporates a great deal of air, gelato is churned just until thick, yielding a texture reminiscent of a very thick pound cake batter. Once that heavy texture is achieved, it’s FULL STOP. Go further and you will create overrun – ice cream industry talk for the expansion of ice cream due to the incorporation of varying amounts of air (measured in %) during the freezing process. It is this greater amount of air that gives American ice cream its characteristic lightness. And it is this lack of extra air that imbues gelato with its characteristic texture, bold hues and bright flavors.

And finally, food safety: You must cook the gelato base to 160 degrees F. to kill any Salmonella bacteria that may be present in the eggs. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends “Consumption of raw or undercooked eggs should be avoided, especially by young children, elderly persons and persons with weakened immune systems or debilitating illness.” In fact it is estimated that 2.3 million eggs are infected each year in the United States with Salmonellosis.

Fernet and Coca-Cola Float styled by Bart who was a Carnation soda jerk in another life.

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I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.