Make Herb-Infused Granitas by Rev. Carol A. Ingle (Raven)

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Make Herb-Infused Granitas

Air conditioning and automatic ice makers help make hot, humid weather more bearable, but the calendar still says summer, and the foods we crave—air conditioning or no air conditioning—are cool, full flavored, and refreshing. Taste buds tend to dull in summer; the proverbial dog days are no time for subtle flavors or dishes with rich, palate-coating ingredients such as butter and heavy cream. More satisfying are foods with bright notes (tart-sweet lemonade, spicy salsa), rousing textures (crunchy coleslaw, cucumber salad), and plenty of moisture (a juicy tomato, a wedge of slurpy watermelon). And what would summer be without frozen desserts: ice creams, sherbets, sorbets, and all their cousins? Among the most heat quenching of these are granitas, intensely flavored, coarse-textured ice confections typically made from fruit.

The earliest granitas date back to seventeenth-century Naples, where the new treat made with sweetened crushed ice—and enjoyed mainly by the upper classes—was described as having the alluring consistency of “sugar and snow.” By the end of the century, ices were sold by vendors on Naples’s sweltering streets.

Classic granitas have changed little over the years (they’re a slightly crunchy mound of flavored ice crystals like a refined snow cone) and continue to be a popular summer treat in Italy and in Italian neighborhoods and restaurants in America.

Americans have Italian immigrants to thank for bringing the tradition of flavored ice across the Atlantic. Italian-American cookbooks abound with references to steamy New York nights and cravings for sweet, strong, lemon- or espresso-flavored ices. Today, granitas can be found not only at Italian street fairs and in Little Italy’s pastry shops but also across the country in upscale restaurants, where innovative chefs have updated the classic recipes with herbs, spices, honey, and even balsamic vinegar. Most of the new granitas are sweet and are served as a dessert or between courses to refresh and surprise the palate. But perhaps the most original of the new granitas are the savory ones intended as condiments or garnishes for soups, fish, and shellfish.

Purists may shudder, but the addition of fresh basil or sorrel to a lemon granita or tarragon to an orange granita adds complexity, while a lavender and rosemary granita conjures up the essence of Provence. How about a scoop of deep, dark, tangy balsamic-­tarragon granita on your gazpacho? Talk about a flavor explosion!

Granitas are easy to make at home; if you have a refrigerator with a freezer and a few ice cube trays, you’re in business. A food processor or a heavy-duty blender makes chopping the frozen mixture into crystals a snap, but a fork and a little elbow grease will do in a pinch.

Granita mixtures may be made at your convenience and chopped into crystals just before serving. Because granitas melt fast, they’ll hold their shape longer if served in dishes that have been chilled or frozen. Many children prefer unadorned, herbless granitas, so make a batch of simple lemon, peach, or orange granitas if kids are on your guest list.

Chilled To Perfection

Granitas should have an uneven, crystalline texture, more like shaved ice than the smoother, more refined sorbet. There are two different ways to achieve this consistency.

1. Freeze granita mixture in ice cube trays until solid. Just before serving, pulse 6 cubes in a food processor or a heavy-duty blender until the mixture has formed coarse crystals. Continue to add cubes until all have been processed. Alternatively, you may place the cubes in a bowl and chop them with a fork.

2. Freeze the granita mixture in a bowl and stir every 30 minutes until solid. Just before serving, chop the mixture with a fork.

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Peach and Lemon Verbena Granita

Lemon verbena brings out the superb flavor of peaches that have been ripened to perfection.

Makes 2 cups.

• 1 pound sweetest fresh ripe peaches, pitted, peeled, and cut into medium dice
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar or more to taste
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh lemon verbena leaves
• 1 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or to taste
• Lemon verbena sprigs for garnish

1. In a small saucepan, bring peaches, sugar, and water to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until the peaches are tender and the sugar is completely dissolved.

2. Off heat, drain peaches, reserving the poaching liquid, and puree them in a blender or food processor until smooth. Taste; sweeten with some reserved poaching liquid if desired.

3. Add chopped lemon verbena and let stand for 15 minutes, then strain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice and taste; add enough to make a sweet-tart mixture.

4. Freeze mixture in ice cube trays until solid. In a blender or food processor, pulse 6 frozen granita cubes until mixture forms coarse crystals. Continue adding frozen granita cubes until processed. Serve immediately in chilled martini glasses or dessert dishes garnished with verbena sprigs.

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Grapefruit-Rosemary Granita

Tart grapefruit and pungent rosemary make a refreshing, if unexpected, ­combination.

Makes 3 cups.

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice
• 2 4-inch sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2/3 cup orange muscat wine such as Quady Essencia or other white dessert wine (optional)
• Rosemary sprigs for garnish

1. In a medium saucepan, heat water and sugar over medium heat until sugar ­dissolves. Add grapefruit juice and rosemary sprigs and bring to a simmer. Remove pan from the heat, cover, and steep for 10 to 30 minutes, or until mixture has reached desired rosemary ­flavor. Remove rosemary sprigs and let mixture cool completely.

2. Stir in wine, then freeze in ice cube trays until solid. When ready to serve, pulse 6 frozen granita cubes in a blen­der or food processor until mixture forms coarse crystals. Continue adding granita cubes until all the cubes have been processed. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh rosemary sprigs.

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Tarragon and Blood Orange Granita

Fresh tarragon adds a slight note of licorice to this cool, tart-sweet refresher.

Makes 3 cups.

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups blood orange juice (available frozen at specialty food stores) or freshly squeezed regular orange juice
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons firmly packed fresh tarragon leaves
• Tarragon sprigs for garnish
• Fresh orange segments for garnish

1. In a medium saucepan, heat water and sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add orange juice, lemon juice, and tarragon leaves and bring to a simmer. Remove pan from the heat, cover, and steep for 30 minutes or until desired tarragon flavor is reached.

2. Freeze the mixture in ice cube trays until solid. In a blender or food processor, pulse 6 frozen granita cubes until mixture forms coarse crystals. Continue adding granita cubes until all cubes have been processed. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh tarragon and orange segments.

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Grapefruit and Mint Granita

Fresh mint combines beautifully with grapefruit for a cool after-dinner sweet.

Makes 3 1/2 cups.

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves
• 3 cups freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
• Mint sprigs for garnish

1. Heat water and sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove pan from heat, stir in half the mint leaves, cover, and steep for 20 minutes or until desired mint flavor is reached.

2. Finely chop the remaining mint leaves and combine them with grapefruit juice in a bowl. Strain the mint syrup into the juice. Freeze mixture in ice cube trays until solid. Pulse 6 frozen granita cubes in a blender or food processor until mixture forms coarse crystals. Continue adding granita cubes until all the cubes are processed. Serve immediately, garnished with mint sprigs.

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Savory Lemongrass Granita

Samuelsson serves this granita with raw, sushi-quality yellowtail tuna, caviar, and mustard-flavored oil. Preparing raw fish at home can be tricky and is best left to the experts; however, this granita—cold in temperature but hot with spices—is also delicious with cold poached salmon or grilled tuna.

Makes 2 cups.

• 1 8-inch-long piece fresh lemongrass, ­split lengthwise
• 1 slice fresh gingerroot, 1/2 inch thick
• 3 bags orange-flavored herbal tea
• 2 cups water
• 6 whole black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons aquavit or vodka (optional)

1. In a large saucepan, bring all ingredients except the aquavit or vodka to a boil. Remove pan from heat, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Strain out the solids, then stir in the aquavit or vodka. Pour into a bowl and freeze until solid. The alcohol, if used, will prevent the granita from becoming rock hard.

2. Chop the mixture coarsely with a fork. Serve immediately with salmon or yellowtail tuna, plain crackers or toast points, and osetra caviar as a first course.

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Three Herbed Lemon Granitas

A trio of lemon granitas offers a symphony of herbal flavors.

Serves 6 to 8.

• 4 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped, fresh ‘Dark Opal’ basil or to taste
• 1 cup chopped, fresh sorrel or to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh mint or to taste
• 1 ounce fresh gingerroot, peeled and sliced
• 3 cups freshly squeezed Meyer or other lemon juice

Garnishes

• 2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
• 1/2 bunch mint leaves, finely chopped
• Sorrel leaves, slivered
• 6 to 8 sprigs ‘Dark Opal’ basil

1. In a large saucepan, heat water and sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

2. Pour one-third of the sugar syrup into each of three medium saucepans. To one pan, add the basil; to the second, add the sorrel; to the third, add the mint and gingerroot. Bring each syrup to a boil, then remove the pans from the heat, cover, and steep for 30 minutes. Strain each mixture into a separate bowl and discard the solids.

3. Into each of three medium bowls, pour 1 cup lemon juice. Add 1 cup of basil syrup to one bowl, 1 cup sorrel syrup to the second, and 1 cup ginger-mint syrup to the third. Place the bowls in freezer and stir each with a fork every 30 minutes or until frozen.

4. Chop the granita mixtures coarsely with a fork. Fold the chopped mint leaves and crystallized ginger into the ginger-mint granita; garnish the sorrel granita with the sorrel chiffonade and the basil granita with the basil sprigs. Scoop some of each granita into neat piles on chilled dessert plates. Serve immediately.