“I always want to be a sorbet sort of person, but inevitably I fall (willingly) down the pistachio gelato rabbit-hole, and I almost never order gelato’s frostier and fruitier sorbetto sister,” says food writer Letitia Clark.
“The problem with sorbet is that I find it can be a little bit too light. Most of the time, I feel the need for something a bit denser. That is why this sorbet is so wonderful, because the velvety peach purée that it produces has substantial body, and doesn’t really feel flimsily light at all; instead silky, thick and luxurious.”
Peach and basil sorbet
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Bowl
- Blender
- Ice cream maker
Ingredients
- 200 g sugar
- 100 ml water
- 20 leaves of fresh basil washed, patted dry and torn
- 750 g very ripe peaches
- Zest and juice of 2 lemons
Method
- Bring the sugar and water to the boil in a small saucepan. Allow to simmer for one minute (swirl the pan to make sure the sugar has melted but do not stir). Once you have a clear, shiny, thick syrup, remove from the heat. Drop in the basil leaves, then decant the syrup into a glass jug or bowl to cool. Cover.
- Cut the peaches into chunks and macerate them with the lemon zest and the lemon juice. (I just peel this in strips with a swivel peeler here as everything will be blitzed and strained eventually but you can finely zest it if you prefer.)
- When the syrup has cooled, pour it over the peaches and leave the whole lot to infuse for a few hours at room temperature (or covered in the fridge overnight).
- Blend everything (leaves, zest and peach flesh) in a blender until you have a smooth purée.
- Sieve the mixture, discarding the bits of basil left behind in the sieve, making sure to press the pulp to extract all the flavours and juices.
- Transfer to an ice-cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
La Vita è Dolce by Letitia Clark is published by Hardie Grant.. Photography by Charlotte Bland.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Clark, Letitia (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update on 2024-04-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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