How would you like to try a limited-edition gelato bursting with delicious Chinese flavours from classic oriental ingredients like Sichuan pepper, star anise, ginger, cinnamon, mandarin peel, and sticky caramelised soy ripple? Two of Redfern’s leading hospitality brands – Redbird Chinese and Ciccone & Sons – have announced a special collaboration that’s sure to fire up the tastebuds of Redfern locals and other Sydneysiders.
Starting 12 Aug 2023, the duo will launch a limited edition gelato that ingeniously combines the rich flavours of Redbird’s famous red braise with Ciccone & Sons’ artisanal small batch gelato, creating a one-of-a-kind sweet and savory masterpiece.
Ciccone & Sons will be offering the creation in its pure form, in traditional cone or cup variations, while at Redbird Chinese around the corner, the gelato will be served deep-fried with a verjus caramel, in signature local Chinese restaurant style.
While the Chinese culinary staples used to create the new gelato are typically used by Redbird’s Co-owner and Executive Chef, Hamish Ingham, to braise the restaurant’s namesake dish – a rotating choice of duck, chicken, spatchcock, or pigeon – he says the flavours also translate perfectly to a gelato.
“Our red braise is developed from a traditional Chinese master stock recipe, and features sweet and savoury elements including fragrant Chinese spices, citrus and other secret ingredients,” he explained.
“While we normally use this ‘red braise’ to steep our signature red bird, the flavours lend themselves equally well to a sweet preparation such as gelato.
“When we brought the idea to the team at Ciccone & Sons, they were super keen to experiment with the ingredients, and what we’ve come up with is very exciting – we’re sure it will be popular with customers at both venues.”
Mark Megahey, Co-owner and Gelatiere at Ciccone & Sons, explained the creative process behind the new gelato.
“Hamish brought us a handpicked sample of the specially sourced Chinese ingredients he uses at Redbird, and we then incorporated them into our gelato base, which uses the best Australian milk and cream we can source,” he said.
“We left this to infuse with mandarin peel for 24 hours, and once we were all happy with the intensity of the spice levels, the gelato was churned in our traditional small batch way and a sweet soy ripple added for balance.
“The end result is a gelato that pops with uniquely identifiable Chinese flavours.”
The limited edition gelato will be available while stocks last.
- Redbird Chinese | Deep-fried Redbird spiced gelato with verjus caramel $24
- Ciccone & Sons Redfern | Redbird spiced gelato – 1 scoop $6.50, 2 scoops $9 and 3 scoops $11
For updates, follow Redbird Chinese and Ciccone & Sons Redfern on Instagram.
Published 4-Aug-2023