Strawberry season in New England is nearly over for the year — gone as fast as spring itself. The local farms have had their festivals; you’ve wandered the rows of berries picking your own.
Of course, eating strawberries as soon as they are picked is best, and Fiona and I have consumed more berries than is probably good for the average human. But if you’re like me, you also picked more than you could eat, and ended up bagging some for the freezer. So what’s a cool thing to do with frozen strawberries? That’s easy: Freeze them again!
Granita is a refreshing summer dessert that is easy to make and doesn’t require an ice cream maker. A close cousin to sorbet (smooth and fancy), sherbet (made with dairy), and slush/Italian ice (not fancy), granita originates in Sicily and is made by combining water, a sweetener, and some sort of flavoring. Then the mixture is stirred with a fork a few times as it freezes, resulting in a rustic, granulated (“granita’’) texture.
The berries are sweetened with a simple syrup made by combining hot water, ground anise seed, and honey. This “simple’’ liquid is used to sweeten frozen desserts of all types, as well as cold drinks. Usually, simple syrup is made with just equal parts water and sweetener, but I’m using a cup of water and ½ cup of honey plus the anise for this recipe, because my berries were so ripe and sweet when I froze them. You can add more honey later if you need to.
If you don’t have a stash of frozen strawberries, fresh will work well too. Give them a quick wash, then cut off the green stems.
Put the berries in a food processor or blender with the simple syrup, some ginger, and orange juice, and puree until very smooth. Taste the mixture now to see if it needs more honey. Then pour it into a large rectangular baking dish. You should have a thin layer of strawberry mixture about ¼ inch deep.
Place the dish in the freezer and every 20-30 minutes stir the mixture with a fork, drawing the frozen edges into the center of the pan and pushing the unfrozen puree to the edges. Over the course of a couple of hours, stirring about four times, you will create the signature granulated texture you are looking for. At this point, it can be covered and kept frozen until you’re ready to serve it. The texture will keep well for a couple of days; after that, thaw the mixture completely and refreeze, using the same technique of stirring with the fork.
Each spoonful of granita is at first very crunchy and cold, but it melts quickly in your mouth, letting go a burst of strawberry flavor. The hint of anise, the orange, and the fresh ginger add zesty brightness to the sweet strawberries. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar balances each bite to make this the most refreshing of summer desserts. Strawberry season lives on.
Gordon Hamersley can be reached at cookingwithgordonhamersley @gmail.com.
