Ingredients:

For the semifreddo:

3 cups ripe strawberries, picked through, rinsed, and dried

¾ cup + ⅓ cup granulated sugar, divided

Generous pinch of salt

2 tablespoons Campari

3 egg yolks

1 whole egg

1¼ cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

For the Campari berries and serving:

2 cups ripe strawberries, picked through, rinsed, and dried

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

One orange

2-3 tablespoons Campari

Teeny pinch of salt

Method:

For the semifreddo: Line a loaf pan with a few layers of plastic film, enough so that a few inches extend and hang over the edges of the pan. Lightly spray with baking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the berries, ¾ cup granulated sugar, salt, and Campari and mash until the fruit is soft and the sugar is distributed. (I like using my hands but a sturdy fork or potato masher will do.) Set aside.

Fill a medium saucepan with a couple inches of water, and bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks, whole egg, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a stainless bowl that will rest comfortably on top of pan with the simmering water, without touching the water. Whisk until the mix is fluffy and lightly set, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and, using a rubber spatula, fold/slather the custard around the bowl so it cools and you can check for lumps; push through a fine-mesh strainer if you find any.

In another medium bowl, combine the heavy cream and powdered sugar and whip until soft peaks form.

To the egg custard, very gently fold in one third of strawberry mash, followed by one third of the whipped cream. Repeat, alternating between the remaining strawberry mash and whipped cream, until everything is incorporated. Make sure you don’t over mix with each addition; this would deflate the light and airy texture you went to all that trouble to create. In fact I recommend you under mix slightly just to be safe.Gently scrape the mix into your prepared loaf pan, smooth the top, and fold the plastic film overhang over the surface to cover completely. Place in the freezer for a minimum of 4 hours, overnight is fine. You’ll want to pull semifreddo from the freezer 10 minutes before ready to serve, it needs to temp up a bit for prettier slicing.

For the Campari berries: Slice the berries as you desire and place in a bowl; add the sugar, zest from the orange, salt, and the Campari. Mix well and let sit for five minutes; it should produce a good amount of liquid. Taste and adjust the sugar, you can add a little juice from the orange if it needs brightening.

To serve: Run a dinner knife between the pan and semifreddo, being careful not to cut the plastic film, and invert onto a plate. Remove the loaf plan, unwrap the plastic film. With a sharp knife cut the frozen loaf into the slice of your dreams. Spoon some of the macerated berries over and serve.