Pear, Ginger & Juniper Granita
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
- 1 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.
- 2
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.- 3
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.- 4
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.- 5
To serve, scrape again to loosen the texture and spoon into small chilled glasses or bowls. - 2