A rich and delicious chocolate gelato inspired by Italian gelaterias.
In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks and the remaining half cup of sugar until they get thick and pale. You can use a whisk but be prepared to exert a fair amount of energy. Probably an electric beater would be easier.
Now's the time to add the cocoa powder and whisk it until the powder is moistened and there are no lumps.
Heat the custard on a moderately low flame while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Slowly bring the temperature to about 80ºC (175ºF). It's very important to make sure it doesn't boil. If you don't have a thermometer you can do the wooden spoon test. Dip the spoon in the mix and then run your finger along the back of the spoon. If the mark left by your finger keeps its shape then the custard is ready. It should be thick with a velvety texture. If you accidentally overheat it, quickly drop the pan in the ice water to cool it back down and whisk vigorously to prevent any clumps from forming.
The road to perfection
However, we are still trying to bring this recipe into the ultimate level of perfection. We have found that the cocoa does not dissolve completely and gives a subtle powdery feel to the otherwise super-smooth ice cream. Though this is easily ignored, everything can be improved upon. For the last batch, we replaced the cocoa powder with a 100g bar of 100% cocoa chocolate, hoping that it would melt more smoothly into the mix. Unfortunately the bar we chose was ever so slightly gritty and left some minor inconsistencies in the ice cream. On our next batch we'll probably replace both bars of chocolate with two bars of 85% dark chocolate and see how that works...
Triple Motion: Chocolate Gelato https://www.triplemotion.com/2008/03/18/chocolate-gelato/