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I’ve long subscribed to the notion that winter is
an ice-cream-free zone. Even when snow fails to make an appearance or the
temperature feels more like spring, winter is dark — and darkness
makes us turn inward. We fold up the patio furniture and retreat indoors. We
brood over bowls of broth and cocoa, linger over tea and cookies and tuck
into curry and stew. We don’t lap up a rapidly melting mountain of Rocky Road or
chase after a Good Humor truck. In the midst of our deep winter nap, Mother Nature
shows up with juggling balls of citrus, reminding us that the sun still
exists. In their natural state, eaten in hand, winter citrus brings us out
of our caves. It juices our veins and refuels the synapses. It is citrus
that makes us forget about winter. A recent love-a-thon with a bowl of tangelos had me
thinking out loud: If citrus makes us forget about winter but will be long
gone by the time summer is here, what would happen to the world order if we
made citrus ice cream or sorbet? I decided to throw caution to the January wind and
embark on a frozen-dessert expedition. The tangelo, a tangerine-pomelo
hybrid known for its nipply head, dimply deep-orange rind, and tangy juice,
was the perfect candidate for this experiment. Unlike ice cream, sorbet needs only a simple syrup
(equal parts sugar and water, heated until the sugar is dissolved) as its
base, which means a quicker route to the ice-cream machine. After a
30-minute churn, the tangelo juice is icy but not frostbitten, which
translates into a soft, tender mouth feel, allowing immediate interaction
with the fruit and sensory overload of the best kind. By far the sorbet below is one of the cleanest-tasting,
most refreshing desserts I’ve ever made. I confess: Its sunkissed
brightness has turned my ice-cream-free-zone theory upside down, but I
don’t care. I’m already looking forward to next January.
Culinary questions? Contact Kim O’Donnel at kim.odonnel@creativeloafing.com.
Winter citrus sorbet Inspired by The Kitchen
Diaries by Nigel Slater
1 cup granulated or superfine sugar 1 cup water Grated zest of two oranges 3 cups juice of oranges, tangelos, blood oranges or a combination (six to eight pieces),
strained Juice of one lemon 1 tablespoon rosewater (optional; available at Middle Eastern groceries) Pinch of salt 1 tablespoon vodka (a small amount of alcohol helps keep the sorbet from developing a
hard crust)
Make a simple syrup: Combine the sugar and water in a
saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add zest, and
allow the syrup to cool. Once the syrup has cooled, strain it to remove the
zest and to the strained mixture add juice, lemon, rosewater and salt,
stirring until combined. Pour into an airtight container and chill for at
least four hours, preferably overnight, until very cold. When ready to freeze, pour the mixture into the
ice-cream machine and add vodka. Stir to combine. Churn until firm and
nearly frozen, about 30 minutes. Remove from bowl and freeze for at least
one additional hour before serving. Makes 1 quart of sorbet.
This article appears in Jan 18-24, 2007.
