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ranitas are a specialty of Sicily and a legacy of its Moorish past. Essentially, they are just water mixed with sugar and a flavouring, then frozen and scraped up with a fork to form a deliciously refreshing “snow”. They’re usually served in a little glass at the end of a meal or, more extravagantly, loaded into a sweet brioche bun and eaten for breakfast. On a recent research trip to Palermo, I was lucky enough to stay in a rather swish hotel where the breakfast buffet had a granita bar boasting a whole row of silver canisters filled with different granitas – coffee, orange, lemon, almond – that you could mix and match, then add various toppings such as dried or fresh fruit, nuts and whipped cream. Every morning, I was like a kid in a sweet shop, compiling indulgent mixes and then feeling a bit sick afterwards.
Strawberry granita
Fragrant summer strawberries work brilliantly in a granita. If you like, infuse the granita base with basil – add a few stalks to the strawberry and sugar mix before blitzing, then strain as below – and/or serve topped with a dollop of whipped cream.
Prep 10 min
Freeze 4 hr
Serves 6–8
450g ripe fresh strawberries, hulled
175g caster sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
Put the strawberries in a blender and blitz to a smooth puree. Add the sugar, blend again briefly, then pour in 570ml water and the lemon juice, and blend once more. Pour into a fine nylon sieve set over a bowl, then rub the puree through the sieve to catch any solids. Pour the mix into a freezer-proof container, cover and freeze for two hours.
After this time, the mixture should have started to freeze around the edges and bottom. With a large fork, vigorously stir the frozen parts of the mixture into the unfrozen bits, then cover again and freeze for another hour. Repeat the vigorous mixing, cover again and freeze for another hour.
By this point, the granita should be a completely frozen snow of ice crystals and is ready to serve. It will keep at this serveable stage in the freezer for three or four hours, but any longer than that and the ice will turn too solid. If that happens, pop the container in the fridge and leave it to soften for 30-40 minutes, until it’s defrosted enough to be broken up with a fork.
Rhubarb and rose granita with pistachio
A delicious, refreshing and vibrant granita that makes the most of rhubarb season – it’s coming to an end soon. Rose adds a sultry, Moorish slant, as do the crunchy, emerald-green pistachios.
Prep 10 min
Cook 15 min
Freeze 8 hr+
Serves 6-8
800g trimmed rhubarb, cut into 5cm lengths
250g caster sugar
Zest and juice of 1 orange
A few drops rose water, to taste
100g shelled pistachios (Iranian ideally), roughly chopped
Small rose petals, to garnish (optional)
Put the rhubarb in a pan with the sugar, orange juice and zest, and add enough water to come level with the top of the rhubarb. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook gently until the sugar dissolves and the rhubarb softens and starts to break up.
Tip the rhubarb mix into a blender, blitz very smooth, then pass through a sieve. Pour into a plastic container, stir in rose water to taste, then cover and freeze for at least eight hours, or overnight.
About 15 minutes before you want to serve, move the container to the fridge, so the granita defrosts a little. Scrape with a fork to soften and break down into crystals, then spoon into glasses, sprinkle over the chopped pistachios, top with a few rose petals, if using, and serve.
Almond granita with roast grapes
This is a brilliant finish to a summer meal. The secret is to grind your own almonds, which makes all the difference because it means you get to keep all those fresh, natural almond oils.
Prep 5 min
Cook 15 min
Chill 4 hr+
Freeze 3 hr+
Serves 6
200g blanched shelled almonds
300g caster sugar
150g black seedless grapes
50ml runny honey
Put the almonds in a food processor and grind to a powder.
Put a litre of water and the caster sugar in a medium pan, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer gently for seven minutes, until you’re left with a thin syrup. Pour the syrup into a bowl, then leave to cool.
When the syrup is cool, stir in the almonds, transfer the bowl to the fridge and chill for at least four hours (or overnight).
Strain the syrup through a fine sieve, discard the almond pulp, then pour into a container and freeze. After an hour, scrape the mix with a fork, and repeat every hour for three or four more hours, until the granita has frozen and looks like snow (alternatively, churn the syrup in an ice-cream machine until frozen).
While the syrup is freezing, roast the grapes. Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan)/410F/gas 6½. Cut the grapes in half lengthways, arrange them cut side up in an oven dish or tray, then drizzle the honey all over them. Roast for 20 minutes, until the juices start to bleed and the skins are lightly blistered, then remove and leave to cool.
Spoon the granita into glasses and serve topped with a few roasted grape halves.