Blood Orange Granita
Paul is a huge citrus granita fan. I usually make lemon or lime for him. When I saw this recipe I couldn’t resist. It was a true hit – I used blood oranges and the color was electric. I plan to make this again for Christmas to serve as a palate cleanser.
I like the dramatic color and somewhat tart flavor of blood oranges, which is why I chose them for this recipe. But really, any good juicing orange will yield a deliciously refreshing granita.
Makes 6 servings
1 whole cardamom pod
1 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups freshly squeezed blood orange juice (use Valencia or navel oranges or tangerines if you are unable to find blood oranges)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of one orange
Grand Marnier or a similar orange-flavored liqueur (optional)
6 small sprigs fresh mint
Place a large rectangular metal baking pan in the freezer to chill it.
In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water and the cardamom pod to a boil. Pour in the sugar and cook just until the sugar has dissolved completely. Remove the syrup from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate in a tightly lidded container until completely chilled (leave the cardamom pod in the syrup).
In a bowl, combine the orange and lemon juice, and the orange zest. Discard the cardamom pod from the syrup and stir the syrup into the orange juice mixture. Retrieve the metal baking pan from the freezer and pour the orange mixture into it. Return the pan, uncovered, to the freezer. Freeze the mixture for 30 minutes. Remove it from the freezer and use a fork to scrape the crystals away from the sides of the pan and turn the mixture. Continue to freeze, scraping every 30 minutes, until the mixture is completely frozen, about 2 hours. Transfer the granita to a container with a tight lid and freeze until ready to serve.
To serve, divide the granita between 6 ice cream bowls or custard cups. Drizzle a few drops of Grand Marnier, if using, over each bowl and garnish each with a sprig of mint.
Do Ahead: The syrup can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated. The granita can be made up to 3 days in advance and frozen. Use a fork to break up the crystals before serving.
Big Night In
More Than 100 Wonderful Recipes for Feeding Family and Friends Italian-Style
by Domenica Marchetti
2008 Chronicle Books
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