An icy sorbet inspired by a non-alcoholic mojito: bright lime, precisely infused fresh mint, and just enough sugar for a supple texture in the ice cream maker.
Ingredients
- 6 pieces fresh unwaxed limes
- 160 g granulated white sugar
- 300 ml filtered water
- 1 bunch fresh mint
- 60 ml very cold sparkling water
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 8 leaves fresh mint leaves for serving
Method
- Finely zest the limes, avoiding the white pith, which would add bitterness. Then juice the limes and strain the juice to remove seeds and small pieces of tough pulp.
- Put the filtered water and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring gently, until the liquid is perfectly clear and the sugar no longer crunches on the bottom of the pan.
- Turn off the heat. Add the fresh mint, gently bruised between your fingers, the lime zest, and the fine salt. Cover and infuse off the heat until the syrup smells distinctly of fresh mint, without a cooked herbal-tea aroma.
- Strain the syrup, pressing the mint very lightly with the back of a spoon. Do not crush it too hard: excessive pressure extracts harsh vegetal notes.
- Mix the infused syrup with lime juice. Taste: the base should seem a little sweeter and more acidic than a dessert served straight away, because cold dulls flavors.
- Pour the mixture into the container, staying below the maximum line. Set the lid straight and freeze on a perfectly level surface until the center is hard as ice.
- Take the container out of the freezer and let it relax briefly at room temperature, just until the sides are no longer covered with dry frost. Install the container in the machine and run the sorbet program.
- Check the texture after the first pass: it should be fine, matte, and grainy like tightly packed snow. Add the very cold sparkling water, then run another re-spin until the texture is smoother, supple, and glossy.
- Form scoops immediately with a spoon dipped in hot water and wiped dry. Serve in chilled cups, topped with fresh mint leaves at the last moment to preserve their aroma.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 192.3 kcal
- Protein
- 0.99 g
- Carbohydrate
- 49.65 g
- Fat
- 0.25 g
- Fibre
- 3.38 g
- Calcium
- 74.8 mg
- Iron
- 0.37 mg
- Magnesium
- 18.85 mg
