Jose Pizarro’s walnut, sherry & honey semifreddo

A great example of how just a few ingredients can work together – you don’t even need an ice cream maker.

Jose Pizarro’s walnut, sherry and honey semifreddo. Picture: Emma Lee

Semifreddo could not be easier to make – and you don’t need an ice cream maker. It’s a great example of how just a few ingredients can work very well together. Leave out the sherry if you prefer it booze-free.

Walnut, sherry & honey semifreddo

Olive oil, for greasing

4 medium free-range eggs, separated

1½ tablespoons Pedro Ximénez sherry

100g (½ cup) caster sugar

325ml double cream

85g walnut halves, plus a handful to serve

1 tablespoon dark honey, plus extra for drizzling

Grease a loaf tin with olive oil and line with enough plastic wrap to hang over the sides. Place egg yolks, sherry and sugar into a small bowl. Tip egg whites into a separate large, clean and dry bowl and pour cream into another large bowl.

In a frying pan over medium heat, toast walnuts until lightly browned, then take off the heat and crush lightly with the end of a rolling pin while still in the pan. Stir through honey; it will fizz a little, but make sure it coats the walnuts well.

Beat egg whites to stiff peaks with an electric whisk. With the same whisk, beat egg yolk mixture until thick and forming a ribbon trail. Then, again with the same whisk, whip cream to soft peaks.

With a large metal spoon, fold cream into egg yolk mixture, then gently fold in egg whites until combined. Stir through honeyed walnuts and spoon into the lined loaf tin, right to the top of the tin. Loosely lay a sheet of cling film over the top and then cover with a sheet of foil. Place in the freezer for a minimum of five hours before serving. (It will keep in the freezer for up to three months.)

To serve, toast a handful of walnut halves in a small frying pan over medium heat and allow to cool a little. Turn out semifreddo onto a board or platter, peeling back the cling film. Top with toasted walnut halves and a good drizzle of dark honey. Serves 6-8

Edited extract from Andalusia: Recipes from Seville and Beyond by Jose Pizarro (Hardie Grant Books, $49.99). Photography: Emma Lee