When it gets hot, I want frozen treats. And now that I'm restricting my fat intake, I am especially drawn to sorbets. Here are two from Simple Cuisine by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, one of my favorite superstar chefs.
Lemongrass Sorbet
Ingredients2 cups fresh lemon juice
2 cups dry white wine
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cups sugar
7 stalks lemon grass, crushed and coarsely chopped
Procedure
In a medium stainless saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to the boil and then cover and let sit for 1 hour to infuse flavors. Strain out solids, and if you have an ice cream maker, proceed as usual. But if you don’t, do it this way. Pour liquid into a stainless, rectangular pan and freeze till firm — overnight. Take out of the freezer and let sit at room temp for 10 minutes then chop up mixture and put in food processor and puree till smooth. Then refreeze. If it still seems too icy, process again and refreeze. Done!
Bitter Cocoa Sorbet
Ingredients1 3/4 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
Grated zest of one medium orange
1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder
3 1/2 cups unsweetened melted chocolate
Procedure
In a medium bowl, combine water, sugar and zest. Bring to the boil and whisk in the cocoa powder and melted chocolate. When the mixture returns to the boil, remove from heat and strain to remove any lumps. Refrigerate till cool and then use ice cream maker if you have one, or use same method as above.
