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What's cooking? - Lebanese recipes, chefs and restaurants
What's cooking? - Lebanese recipes, chefs and restaurants

Cooking in the age of social media - CHEF'S RECIPE

Anissa Helou's watermelon pudding (Gelo di Melone)

Full recipe for Anissa Helou's watermelon pudding (Gelo di Melone)
Anissa Helou's watermelon pudding (Gelo di Melone)

Watermelon pudding is a light and original summer dessert.

  • Preparation 60 min

  • Portions

    8 people

  • Difficulty

    Medium

Ingredients
  • For the pudding:

  • 2 kg watermelon, rind removed

  • 75 to 100 g sugar, depending on how sweet the watermelon is

  • 80 g cornstarch

  • 3 tbsp jasmine water (made by steeping a small handful of jasmine flowers in water), optional, or the same amount of rose water, also optional

  • 1/4 cup candied squas, cut into small cubes (optional)

  • 1.5 tbsp dark chocolate chips (optional)

  • For the topping:

  • 2 to 3 tbsp coarsely ground or flaked pistachios

  • Ground cinnamon


All ingredients
Preparation Anissa Helou's melon pudding (Gelo di Melone)
Remove the seeds from the watermelon and discard them.Puree the flesh in a food processor or blender — do not fill it too much, as the watermelon juice may spill over.Pass the puree through a fine sieve, collecting the juice in a large pitcher. Press the pulp with the back of a small ladle to help the juice flow faster.Pour 1.5 liters of watermelon juice into a medium nonstick saucepan. If you have extra, drink it!Add the sugar and cornstarch, then whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the cornstarch is fully incorporated.Taste and adjust the amount of sugar if needed.Place the pan over medium-low heat. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly.When the mixture starts to bubble, continue cooking for a few more minutes, still whisking. Then remove from the heat and add the jasmine water or rose water, if using.Next, pour the pudding into...

Recipe tips : This gelo di melone is always made in mid-August, for the Feast of the Assumption, when the jasmine is still in full bloom. If you cannot get hold of jasmine flowers, use rose water or leave out the flavouring altogether. Traditional gelo di melone is quite thick, but I use less cornflour than recommended in classic recipes, to achieve a lighter texture and a more pronounced fruity flavour. I also prefer to make mine without adding candied zuccata – a type of long, pale courgette similar to our ‘are’ – or chocolate chips. If you do add the zuccata (courgette) and chocolate chips, divide them evenly between eight small individual bowls or arrange them at the bottom of a large serving bowl.

Anissa Helou's melon pudding (Gelo di Melone)
  • Preparation 60 min

  • Portions

    8 people

  • Difficulty

    Medium

Ingredients
  • For the pudding:

  • 2 kg watermelon, rind removed

  • 75 to 100 g sugar, depending on how sweet the watermelon is

  • 80 g cornstarch

  • 3 tbsp jasmine water (made by steeping a small handful of jasmine flowers in water), optional, or the same amount of rose water, also optional

  • 1/4 cup candied squas, cut into small cubes (optional)

  • 1.5 tbsp dark chocolate chips (optional)

  • For the topping:

  • 2 to 3 tbsp coarsely ground or flaked pistachios

  • Ground cinnamon


All ingredients
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Anissa Helou, chef of all trades
bio

Since her book Lebanese Cuisine, nominated for the prestigious André Simon Award and named one of the best cookbooks of 1998 by the Los Angeles Times, Anissa Helou's journey has led her to a new destination.

She has become a well-known chef, gives cooking classes and lectures, and continues to publish internationally successful books, including: Cafe Morocco (1999); Mediterranean Street Food (2002) – (which won Best Mediterranean in the English Language, 2002 Gourmand Awards); The Fifth Quarter: An Offal Cookbook (2005) – (which won Most Innovative UK Food Book, 2005 World Gourmand Awards); Savory Baking from the Mediterranean (2007); Modern Mezze (2007); Levant: Recipes and Memories from the Middle East (2013); and Feast: Food of the Islamic World (2018).

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