Lemon sorbet
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Gli Arabi introdussero in Sicilia la canna da zucchero e qui crearono i primi sorbetti (in arabo “sharbat”), grazie alla presenza nell’Isola di neve (che, posta intorno a contenitori, ne congelava il contenuto) e di sale (che rallentava lo scioglimento del ghiaccio).
The sorbet is a cold and semi-sweet dessert made with water, sugar, fruit juices and egg white, which is particularly appreciated at the end of meals. It may contain limoncello liqueur, rum or vodka, and its most common flavors are lemon and mandarin.
The sorbet is also the ancestor of the granita, a sweet delight of the eastern Sicily, served for breakfast or as snack, accompanied by a warm brioche, which can be prepared in many flavours: lemon, almond, pistachio, mulberry, chocolate, coffee, etc.
The difference between the sorbet and the granita lies in their consistency and in the air incorporated in the processing: the granita has a more creamy consistency ("with flakes") and it is free of air bubbles.
- Sicilian sorbet
- Sicilian granita
- lemon sorbet
Dessert
Simple
20'
Ingredients
For 6/8 people:
• 3 lemons
• 500 m water
• 180 ml lemon or mandarin juice
• zest of an untreated lemon from organic farming
• 200 g sugar
Preparation
1. Use a knife to remove the flesh of the three lemons without damaging the outer skin. Be careful not to remove "the cream" (the white part that separates the pulp from the peel) otherwise your sorbet will have a bitter taste.
2. Wrap the emptied lemons in the aluminum paper and place them in the freezer (they will be used as sherbet cups).
3. Prepare a syrup by melting the sugar in water over a very low heat. When it has cooled down, add the lemon juice and the grated rind.
4. Pour the mixture into the ice containers and let it consolidate in the freezer for 12 hours.
5. Remove the cubes of water, sugar and lemon from the freezer and remove them from the mold (if necessary, place the whole ice under running water).
6. Place the cubes in the blender or food processor at the maximum speed: blend until a thick and thick cream is obtained..
7. Take out the lemons from the freezer, fill them with the sorbet and serve them still frozen.