Molto Gusto_ Easy Italian Cooking - Mario Batali [46]
Cantaloupe Sorbetto
MAKES ABOUT 5 CUPS · PHOTO GELATO & SORBETTO 221
Make sure to use very ripe melons for this recipe. Cantaloupes vary in their sugar content, so we definitely recommend doing the egg test for this sorbet.
3½ cups strained cantaloupe juice (from 2 large ripe cantaloupes; see Note), or as necessary
1½ cups Simple Syrup (recipe follows), or as necessary
Juice of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon salt
Combine the cantaloupe juice, simple syrup, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl, stirring well. Do the egg test (see below) and add more juice or water or more sugar syrup, a little at a time, if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until thoroughly chilled.
Freeze the sorbet in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pack into a freezer container and freeze for at least 1 hour before serving. (The sorbet is best served the day it is made.)
Note: If you don’t have a juicer, peel, seed, and chop the cantaloupes and puree, in batches if necessary, in a food processor. Set a strainer lined with dampened cheesecloth over a bowl and strain the puree into the bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much juice as possible.
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THE EGG TEST
At Otto, we use an instrument called a refractometer to measure the sugar density of our sorbets. The unit of measurement is degrees Brix, and we shoot for 26° to 28°F for the best texture and flavor. But there is a fairly reliable home trick for gauging sugar content: the egg test. Pour the sorbet base into a tall narrow bowl at least 8 inches deep, and gently add a well-washed raw egg in the shell. The egg should float to the top and, ideally, show a circle about the size of a nickel above the surface. Too much egg showing means the sugar content is too high, and you should add a little more fruit juice or water. Too little egg showing means not enough sugar, so you’ll need to add more. It is useful to keep some simple syrup on hand so you can quickly adjust the sugar level—just add it in small increments to avoid losing the flavor you are looking for.
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SIMPLE SYRUP
MAKES 3¼ CUPS
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
Stir the sugar and water together in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Pour the syrup into a bowl or other container and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. (The syrup keeps for up to 1 month in the refrigerator.)
Lemon Sorbetto
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART · PHOTO GELATO & SORBETTO
Lemon zest and its fragrant oils give this sorbet its intense flavor.
10 to 12 lemons, preferably organic
½ cup sugar
2 cups Simple Syrup (opposite), or as necessary
Zest 4 of the lemons, using a Microplane or other rasp grater. Put the sugar in a small bowl and, using the palms of your hands, rub the zest into the sugar.
Juice enough of the lemons to make 2 cups, and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the simple syrup and sugared zest and whisk well to combine. Do the egg test (see Gelato & Sorbetto) and add more juice or water or more sugar syrup, a little at a time, if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for about 3 hours, or until thoroughly chilled, stirring occasionally to dissolve all of the sugar.
Strain the lemon juice mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pack into a freezer container and freeze for at least 1 hour before serving. (The sorbet is best served the day it is made.)
Passion Fruit Granita
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART
A granita is an easy-to-make form of shaved ice, delicious on its own and a nice textural component for a coppetta of gelato and fruit (see the Olive Oil Coppetta, Gelato & Sorbetto). Don’t be tempted to oversweeten the granita base, or it will not freeze properly. The best results come from scraping the ice every half hour or so, rather