TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Gelo di MeloneSicilian Watermelon Pudding
A Palermo summer sweet of watermelon juice softly set with starch and decorated with chocolate chips and pistachios. Brief heating preserves the watermelon’s aroma and translucency.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
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Ingredients (6 servings)
- Ripe watermelonRemove rind and seeds to obtain 1000 ml juice; remaining seeds spoil the texture1800 g
- Granulated sugarAdjust between 70–110 g according to the watermelon’s sweetness90 g
- CornstarchDissolve in watermelon juice before heating80 g
- Dark chocolate chipsRepresents watermelon seeds30 g
- Chopped pistachios25 g
- Ground cinnamonUse a little to finish1 g
Method
Extract the watermelon juice
- 1 Remove the rind and seeds and cut the flesh into 2–3 cm cubes.
- 2 Blend until smooth.
- 3 Strain through a fine sieve to obtain 1000 ml juice.
Ready when
Proceed when you have 1000 ml clear red juice without seeds or fibers.
Caution
Always strain: remaining seeds spoil the texture.
Dissolve the starch
- 1 Put 80 g cornstarch and 90 g sugar in a saucepan.
- 2 Whisk while adding the watermelon juice little by little.
- 3 Once no lumps remain, add the rest of the juice.
Ready when
Proceed when the liquid is uniformly red and lump-free.
Caution
Adding all the juice at once makes lumps; begin with small additions.
Thicken
- 1 Heat the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom.
Ready when
After 1–2 minutes of boiling, proceed when the liquid is translucent and thick enough for whisk marks to remain briefly.
Caution
Keep scraping the bottom because it scorches easily. Excessive boiling drives off the aroma.
Pour and chill
- 1 While hot, pour into glasses or small molds.
- 2 Let the initial heat dissipate.
- 3 Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set.
Ready when
After at least 4 hours, proceed when the surface trembles without flowing and a spoon cuts softly through it.
Caution
Chocolate melts if added while hot, so decorate only after chilling.
Decorate and serve
- 1 Scatter with dark chocolate chips.
- 2 Scatter with chopped pistachios.
- 3 Sprinkle with a little ground cinnamon.
Ready when
It is ready when decorated all over and ready to serve still cold and set.
About this dish
In Palermo’s summer pastry shops, gelo di melone seems to capture the red of watermelon itself. In Sicily, melone can mean watermelon, and around Palermo this chilled sweet has long announced summer.
It is also associated with July’s Santa Rosalia festival. For people walking through the hot city, its cold watermelon aroma and soft texture brought coolness to the festive table. Chocolate chips stand in for watermelon seeds, and green pistachios add distinctly Sicilian color.
It is still made as a summer after-dinner sweet in Palermo’s homes and pasticcerie. Rather than simply slicing fruit, shaping it into something suited to festivals and family tables expresses the festive elegance of Sicilian sweets.
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