A lemon granita true to the Sicilian spirit: water, sugar, fresh lemon, and a pinch of salt, processed in the ice cream maker for a light, crystalline, intensely refreshing texture.
Ingredients
- 5 pieces unwaxed lemons
- 520 ml spring water
- 130 g granulated white sugar
- 1 pinch fine salt
Method
- Wash the lemons thoroughly, then remove only the yellow part of the zest with a fine grater. Avoid the white pith, which would add bitterness. Then juice the lemons and strain the juice to remove the seeds and thick pulp.
- Pour the water, sugar, and salt into a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring gently, until the sugar has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. The syrup should only come to a simmer, not a full boil.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the lemon zest, and cover. Let steep off the heat until the syrup is lukewarm: it should smell distinctly of lemon without turning bitter.
- Strain the syrup into a bowl, then stir in the lemon juice. Taste: it should be very lemony and slightly sweeter than you want it at the table, because cold dulls sweetness and aromas.
- Pour the mixture into the pint, without exceeding the maximum fill line. Place the lid flat, then freeze on a perfectly level surface until the block is solid all the way through.
- Take the pint out of the freezer and let it stand at room temperature for a few moments if the surface is domed or heavily frosted. Scrape or smooth the top to create a flat surface, which is essential for an even texture.
- Install the pint in the ice cream maker and run the sorbet program. At the end, the texture should be pale, fine, and snowy, with small melting crystals rather than compact ice.
- If the granita seems powdery or too dry, make a small well in the center, add a very small splash of cold water or lemon juice, then use the re-spin function. Stop as soon as the texture becomes soft and granular, without aiming for a smooth cream.
- Serve immediately in very cold bowls. Lightly scrape the surface with a spoon to create the traditional granita effect, airy and crystalline.
- For a more traditional service, return the granita briefly to the freezer after the ice cream maker cycle, then scrape it with a fork just before serving to recover a more Sicilian texture, less smooth.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 171.8 kcal
- Protein
- 1.15 g
- Carbohydrate
- 45.03 g
- Fat
- 0.3 g
- Fibre
- 4.2 g
- Calcium
- 39.67 mg
- Iron
- 0.28 mg
- Magnesium
- 14.74 mg
