Melon Granita

Deb's Recipes's Note:

Cool and delicately flavored, this granita is an ideal dessert after a barbecue or other spicy meal. Plan ahead as you'll need to start 4½ or 5 hours before you plan to serve the granita. This untried recipe is from the May 28, 2006 edition of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and posted for Zaar World Tour II.

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Prep Time: 18 mins
• Cook Time: 2 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 8

Yield: 1.0 quart

• 2 lbs ripe honeydews or 2 lbs cantaloupe or 2 lbs persian melon
• 3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (divided)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 lemon, zest of, grated
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (optional)
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• fresh mint sprig, garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Peel, halve, and seed melons; cut into chunks and place in medium-sized bowl, reserving ½ cup of the melon chunks in another small container.
2. To the reserved ½ cup of melon, add 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice; toss to coat; cover and refrigerate.
3. To remaining larger bowl of melon, add sugar, remaining lemon juice, lemon zest, allspice, pepper (if using) and nutmeg; toss to mix; cover and marinate melon in refrigerator for 2-12 hours.
4. Strain juices from larger bowl of melon chunks into a small saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat and cook 1 minute; remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
5. Combine marinated melon chunks and reduced juices in a food processor or blender; puree until smooth; pour into a bowl, cover, and chill for 2 hours.
6. Pour pureed and chilled mixture into ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer's directions; serve topped with reserved diced melon and fresh mint sprigs.
7. NOTE: The name "granita" comes from a Spanish word meaning small grain or, by association, granular texture.

Reviews

[Belgicook]

This was sooooooooooooooooo good! My guests all raved about it and asked for the recipe! I was a little worried it wouldn't come out right because I don't have an ice cream freezer so I just put the unfrozen mixture in the 'fast freeze' compartment of my freezer for a few hours, but it turned out sublime. I followed the recipe exactly, used honeydews and fresh mint but left out the pepper. I can't wait to make some more! Many thanks for this fabulous recipe! :)

[Ms*Bindy]

Easy to make and good. I used honeydew, and the color was just a little strange. I think canteloupe would have been a little prettier.