A very simple, clean, fragrant French sorbet: ripe peaches, a light syrup infused with fresh verbena, a touch of lemon, then spinning in the ice cream maker for a fine, melting texture.
Ingredients
- 700 g ripe, fragrant yellow peaches
- 120 g granulated sugar
- 120 ml water
- 20 ml fresh lemon juice
- 12 leaves fresh lemon verbena
- 1 pinch fine salt
Method
- Prepare the syrup: pour the water and sugar into a small saucepan, heat over medium, and stir until completely dissolved. As soon as the liquid is perfectly clear and begins to simmer at the edges, turn off the heat.
- Add the fresh verbena to the hot syrup, cover immediately, and infuse until the aroma is clear but still delicate. The syrup should smell of lemon verbena without developing a bitter herbal note.
- Remove the verbena leaves and let the syrup cool slightly. It should remain fluid, with no sugar crystals on the bottom of the saucepan.
- Prepare the peaches: wash and pit them, then peel them if the skin is thick or fuzzy. If the peaches are very ripe, the skin should come away easily with a knife; otherwise, briefly immerse them in simmering water, then cool them before peeling.
- Blend the peach flesh with the infused syrup, lemon juice, and fine salt. Blend for a long time until a perfectly smooth, glossy, homogeneous purée forms, with no visible pieces.
- Taste the base: it should seem slightly sweeter than fresh fruit, because cold reduces the perception of sweetness. If it tastes flat, add only a small touch of lemon; if it seems too sharp, let it rest for a few minutes so the peach can come back to the fore.
- Pass the mixture through a fine sieve if you want a highly polished bistro-style texture. Press gently with a spatula without forcing the fibers through, to keep the sorbet delicate rather than pasty.
- Pour the base into the container, respecting the appliance's indicated limit. Place the container flat in the freezer and freeze until the block is solid through the center, with no soft area.
- Spin in the ice cream maker using the sorbet program. After the first cycle, the texture may be powdery if the block is very cold: this is normal.
- If the sorbet is dry or grainy, hollow out the center slightly, add a splash of cold water or peach juice, then run another cycle. The right texture is matte, compact, supple on the spoon, and free of perceptible crystals.
- Serve immediately in chilled cups. Form quenelles or scoops with a spoon dipped in hot water and wiped dry; the sorbet should hold its shape for a few moments before beginning to melt around the edges.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 188.5 kcal
- Protein
- 2.03 g
- Carbohydrate
- 43.05 g
- Fat
- 0.66 g
- Fibre
- 4.39 g
- Calcium
- 1.88 mg
- Iron
- 0.05 mg
- Magnesium
- 0.79 mg
