Pear, Ginger & Juniper Granita

Name: Pear, Ginger & Juniper Granita
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 3 h 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 500 ml pear juice; 2 small ripe pears, roughly chopped; 50 g caster sugar; 2 cm piece of fresh ginger, sliced; 4 juniper berries, lightly crushed; 2 tsp lemon juice

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Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 10 mins Rest Time 180 mins Total Time 3 hrs 25 mins

Difficulty: Intermediate

Cuisine: British Courses: Palette Cleanser

Description

This icy intermezzo brings a refreshing pause to the heart of the meal. It’s delicate, lightly spiced and quietly Christmassy, the flavour of ripe pears uplifted by fresh ginger and the subtle piney note of juniper. The result is elegant but unfussy, adding a touch of restaurant polish without any of the stress.

A granita is one of the easiest make-ahead dishes you can serve. It freezes beautifully, requires no special equipment, and can be prepared several days in advance. Simply scrape it to flakes before serving, and enjoy a cool, bright moment between courses.

Ingredients

500 ml pear juice
2 small ripe pears, roughly chopped
50 g caster sugar
2 cm piece of fresh ginger, sliced
4 juniper berries, lightly crushed
2 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

Place the pear juice, chopped pear, sugar, ginger and juniper berries in a small saucepan. Warm gently until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a low simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl or jug, pressing gently to extract the liquid. Discard the solids.
Stir in the lemon juice, then pour the mixture into a shallow freezer-safe dish. Allow it to cool fully before placing in the freezer.
Freeze for 2–3 hours, scraping the surface every 45–60 minutes with a fork to form delicate ice crystals. Continue until evenly frozen and flaky.
To serve, scrape again to loosen the texture and spoon into small chilled glasses or bowls.

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Pear, Ginger & Juniper Granita