WATERMELON, LIME AND MINT GRANITA REFRESHES
We all remember the sno-cones of our youth. Syrupy sweet, and made of frightening, technicolour flavours, they hit the spot on scalding hot summer days. Now that I'm a grown-up, I avoid sno-cones with all my might, but still want an icy, sweet, delicious dessert to soothe my summer soul. Enter the granita.
Somewhere between a sorbet and a slushie, granita is the perfect dessert for when you're hot, sweaty and have absolutely no desire to turn on the oven. Plus, if you're looking for a reason to stick your head in the freezer, this is it. Granita is an Italian frozen dessert not unlike sorbet, except that granita is made by hand and not a machine. The result is a coarser, flakier texture, almost like a fruity bowl of snow. The first bite of granita has a bit of crunch, then it will melt gloriously in your mouth. It's so versatile too — serve it in a bowl to the kids, in pretty glasses at dinner, or just eat it out of the pan while sitting in the shade or standing in front of the fan.
This refreshing frozen fruit dessert is beautiful in its simplicity. Fresh fruit is blended with a bit of sugar and citrus juice, then frozen until icy, flaked with a fork and frozen again. Who doesn't love a dessert that can be made in any kitchen, as long as there is a freezer and a shallow pan? Oh, and you need a fork. The technique may be fairly primitive, but the result is sophisticated enough to serve at a dinner party in fancy glassware. You don't need extensive kitchen skills to make granita. Get the kids involved — they'll love scraping it up!
You can make granita out of almost any fruit purée, but when I want to cool down, I love biting into a big, cold piece of watermelon. Be sure to buy the seedless watermelon, or you'll have the tedious exercise of picking out the seeds. When hot and cranky, the last thing I want to do is pick out the seeds, so go seedless to save some grief. I blended it in a 12-cup (three-litre) food processor, but if yours isn't as large, do this step in batches. Being a bit of a perfectionist, I strained out the pulp, so the resulting mixture is very smooth. Watermelon loves lime and mint, so I stirred those into the purée along with a bit of sugar. At this point, you could spike it with a small amount of vodka but don't go overboard, or the granita won't freeze.
I like to freeze the granita for a few hours before I start scraping. At this point, it's fairly solid and it flakes up nicely. Return to the freezer for another 30 minutes or so, then scrape again. Repeat the process until you have the desired texture and the whole pan is scraped. The entire process can take several hours until you get the perfect flaky consistency for serving, so I like to start making granita in the morning. Once you've scraped all of the granita, you can serve immediately, or cover and keep it in the freezer until ready to serve. If you're really planning ahead, granita can be made as long as a week in advance and stored in an airtight container. Flake with a fork before serving.
In all of its dairy-free glory, granita is a lovely dessert to serve to those who have dietary considerations, but if dairy isn't a concern, consider topping the watermelon granita with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.
WATERMELON, LIME AND MINT GRANITA
■ 9 cups (2.25 L) seeded, cubed watermelon
■ 1/3 cup (85 ml) granulated sugar
■ 1/3 cup (85 ml) fresh lime juice
■ 1/2 cup (125 ml) fresh mint, very finely chopped
■ pinch salt
1. Place the watermelon in a food processor and blend until very smooth. If your food processor isn't very large, you may have to do this in two batches.
2. Strain the watermelon juice through a fine mesh sieve and into a large bowl, forcing liquid out with a spatula. Discard the solids.
3. Stir together the watermelon purée, sugar, lime juice, mint and salt. Be sure that all of the sugar has dissolved. Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish.
4. Place the mixture in the freezer, and freeze for about three hours. Begin to scrape thoroughly with a fork every 20 to 30 minutes for about three and a half hours, or until the granita resembles coarse crystals. Scrape one last time and spoon into parfait glasses or bowls. Top with a mint sprig. Makes about eight to 10 servings.
5. Granita can be made as long as a week in advance and stored in an airtight container. Flake with a fork before serving.