Tamarillo Sorbet

(Serves 4 - 6)

Ingredients

• About 8 tamarillos (to produce 450 mls Tamarillo purée*) 
• 250 g caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Method

Blanch the tamarillos by bringing a pan of water to the boil and plunging them into the boiling water for about 2 minutes. Lift out and plunge into cold water. Cut off the stems and hard base where the stem meets the flesh and peel off the skins. Chop the fruit into quarters and feed them into a food processor until flesh is puréed. Strain purée through a sieve to remove seeds and then whisk in the sugar and lemon.

Set the mixture over a large (stainless steel) bowl filled with a tray of ice cubes with water to cover them. Add 2 tablespoons of salt to the ice and water. Beat the purée over the ice with a portable electric mixer or wire whisk for several minutes. While it chills, the sugar should dissolve completely. Beat until you cannot feel the faintest granule of it on your tongue. The sugar must dissolve completely.

The mixture should now be thoroughly chilled and will freeze quite rapidly. Cover and place in freezer. Freeze until set. Beat once or twice during freezing process to break up any ice crystals.

Serve a couple of scoops of this deep crimson sorbet garnished with some lemon zest and a sprig of mint for a rich yet refreshing finale to a special dinner.

* The critical measurement in this recipe is the ratio of sugar to fruit purée rather than the weight or number of whole fruit.

John Hawkesby’s wine suggestion

Riesling
Millton Opou Vineyard 2008
Kingsmill Tippet's Race 2008