Black Plum Black Pepper Gelato

Directions

1. Combine chopped fruit, water and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, until plum skins begin to peel from fruit, mixture changes color to pink and becomes thick and jammy, about 15 minutes. Transfer mixture to glass bowl or container (like a quart sized Pyrex measure) and let cool. Once cool, cover with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator. Chill until cold, at least three hours or overnight.
2. In another saucepan, combine milk and crushed black pepper; allow mixture to steam over low heat, about 5-7 minutes (shorter or longer depending on range). Meanwhile, make slurry by combining cornstarch and remaining 2 T of milk, stirring well to combine thoroughly. Once milk/pepper mixture has steamed, whisk in slurry, stirring continuously until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
3. Strain thickened milk mixture through sieve into a glass bowl or large measuring cup. Press down on black pepper solids, to allow the finest grains to absorb into milk mixture. It should look like vanilla bean seeds in your milk mixture. This will also ensure that there are no lumps from the cornstarch. Allow mixture to cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least three hours or overnight.
4. When ready to make gelato, combine chilled plums, chilled milk, and crème fraiche in a blender. Puree to combine. Pour into base of ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. After 40 minutes, mixture should still be soft; transfer to airtight container and freeze longer for a firmer gelato.