Sgroppino

A Venetian lemon and strawberry slush, made with chilled Prosecco. Serve this with, or in place of dessert. It can be made table side, if desired. Make the lemon ice cream the night before or the day of, but make sure to have any ingredients, thoroughly chilled several hours before assembly. Remove the peel from the lemons with a vegetable stripper.

• Ready In: 4 hrs
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 4  lemons, peel of
• 1  generous cup sugar
• 2⁄3 cup  fresh strained lemon juice
• 2⁄3 cup heavy cream
• 1  pinch salt
• 12  ounces fresh strawberries
• 1 1⁄4 cups  chilled  sparkling wine

Directions

1. Put the lemon peel, sugar, lemon juice, and pinch of salt into a saucepan with 11/2 cups water.
2. Bring to a boil. Simmer 11/2-2 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain into a bowl, discarding lemon peel. Cool well. Stir in heavy cream. Freeze in an ice cream machine. Transfer to a sealed container to freeze till serving time.
3. Wash and hull berries. Purée them. There should be approximately 1 pint purée. Cover and chill till serving time.
4. Have the bottle of wine also chilled, don't open and measure it till serving time. It can be measured in a cup and then transferred to a little pitcher. The chilled bottle, also can be brought out, in case some dinner guests may like a slightly less sweet and more alcoholic version.
5. At serving time, have a whisk at hand, the most attractive one in the kitchen, this can be done in a large glass pitcher, as long as the whip will reach to the bottom of it, in any case, beat all of the lemon ice with half of the strawberries. Add half of the wine, and whip to combine. Beat in the remaining wine, and the remaining purée without stirring, at the last, except briefly, so that the whole, does not turn liquid.
6. Serve, at once, in broad coupes or chilled crystal bowls, accompany with some dessert spoons, even if they are going to be drunk.