Simple Sorbet

With an apple tart, a batch of scones, and fillet of sole with beurre blanc on my to-do list today, rest assured, dear Gastro-Junkies that you will have a fresh new entry (or three) in the very near future. That being said, I couldn't resist posting this mid-week mini-entry to share this criminally simple recipe.

I tried my hand at sorbet this week, a surprisingly tricky business without an ice cream maker. I went for a trio of flavors to be served together: Strawberry rhubarb, meyer lemon and basil, and my favorite, Bosc pear with amaretto. The strawberry and lemon were both great flavor-wise, and with the use of the proper equipment I'm sure would have come out silky and smooth, but as it was the ice crystals in these two batches were too big for my liking. The pear and amaretto, on the other hand was the hands-down winner flavor wise, with a great big mouthful of soft, round flavors, and the nicest texture of the three. It was also the easiest to make, requiring no straining at all. I am making a note to add an ice cream maker to my kitchen arsenal to give this a satiny finishing touch, but in all honesty, this particular recipe is perfectly fine without it.

Bosc Pear &Amaretto Sorbet

5 ripe Bosc pears

3 oz. simple syrup

3 oz. Amaretto liqueur

Pinch of salt

Wash and peel the pears, and split them down the middle, removing the seeds with a spoon. Cut them into large chunks and place in a food processor with Amaretto, simple syrup and salt. Blend on high speed until the pear is very smooth. Check for flavor, remembering that it is more difficult to distinguish flavors in frozen desserts, so in this case more might actually be more. (Also, my homemade simple syrup is the extra-rich variety, meaning that your sorbet might need an extra kick of sweetness. Start with the recomended 3 oz., and work up from there. You can always put more in, but you can't ever get it back out...) Freeze overnight in a tupperware container. Chill bowls before serving and enjoy.