Strawberry, Redcurrant and Juniper Granita

Strawberries have been hiding from you. They’re not simply sweet and straightforward. Smell them. There’s something woodsy and wild there. Juniper pushes that wildness forward. Redcurrants, with us fleetingly around Christmas, offer acidity and astringency, which makes this granita especially refreshing, and the fluffy, fruit-flavoured ice crystals a little more adult.

30 juniper berries 1 cup water 100 grams redcurrants, picked off the stalk 200 grams hulled strawberries 50 grams caster sugar redcurrants on the stalk caster sugar

Put the juniper berries in a saucepan and lightly crush them with a wooden spoon. Add the water and simmer for 15–20 minutes or until the water is reduced by half. Add the redcurrants and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes or until the berries have collapsed. Set aside to cool.

Push the redcurrants and juniper berries through a sieve to make a puree, discarding the skins.

Put the hulled strawberries and 50 grams of caster sugar in a blender, and blitz until smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Add the redcurrant and juniper puree and taste for acid sweetness balance. Pour into a container and freeze until firm, preferably overnight.

Working quickly – you don’t want the granita to melt – remove the granita from the freezer and, using a fork, scrape the