A sorbet aids digestion and leaves you feeling refreshed. They are as easy to make as soups and are a great finisher to a meal – and don’t contain any fat or egg yolks.
Historically, sorbets were the first iced desserts, as ice cream didn’t appear on the menu until the 18th century. They were made originally with fruit, honey, an aromatic substance and snow.
The Chinese introduced sorbets to the Arabs, and the technique travelled on to the Parisians, who in turn introduced them to the Italians.
There are many fruits you can use to make sorbets and they are a good way to use up excess fruit at home. You can also use a fruit vegetable such as tomato, pumpkin and courgette, in creating a savoury sorbet to serve between courses.
I like savoury sorbets to have a more slushy consistency, so they are best served with a liquid, such as with a dash of ginger ale with a red pepper sorbet or a splash of aqua libra with a tomato sorbet. Or try a thyme sorbet with a dash of Bombay Sapphire. Tea infusion sorbets are also delicious, using a wide variety of teas such as Earl Grey and green tea.
The sky is the limit in terms of combinations, and imagination is a great tool. At Thornton’s restaurant we use a Pacojet blender to get our consistency right and a sorbet machine is a great help.
If you’re making sorbet at home, the most important thing to concentrate on is the fruit-to-sugar ratio. Sugar doesn’t freeze, so the more sugar used, the softer the sorbet gets.
Another tip is that the fruit or fruit vegetables used should be fully ripe.
Raspberry sorbet (serves 4)
750g fresh raspberries
5g granulated sugar
10ml of water
140g castor sugar
10g glucose
255ml water
Method
1. Place raspberries in a pot, add granulated sugar and 10ml of water and cook over a low heat until the fruit is cooked through. Remove and place into a blender to purée. Remove and pass through a fine sieve to remove the raspberry seeds.
2. In a different pot place the castor sugar and 255ml water and cook over a medium heat to a temperature of 95 degrees centigrade (just until the sugar dissolves). Do not allow to boil as this will increase the sugar content.
3. Remove from the heat and add the glucose, allowing it to dissolve in the liquid. Add the puréed raspberries and mix well. Cover with cling film and place in fridge to cool.
4. Clean the sorbet machine before each use with boiling water only. Allow the machine to cool before adding mixture.
5. When the machine is fully cooled add half the mixture and turn for 20 minutes. If you add half the mixture at a time it puts less pressure on the motor. Remove the mixture and place in a cool container and freeze (-20C). Repeat these steps with the remainder of the mixture.
To serve
Remove the sorbet from the freezer and allow it to soften for about ten minutes. Use a heated dessert spoon to scoop and shape the sorbet onto a plate. The heated spoon gives a nice shine to the sorbet.
Tomato sorbet (Serves 4)
500g vine tomatoes (roughly chopped)
1 garlic clove (roughly chopped)
10 leaves basil
Half a shallot (roughly chopped)
40ml olive oil
5g carageen moss (available from most good health shops)
1 egg white
Pinch of sea salt
Method
1. Place vine tomatoes, garlic, chopped shallot, basil and olive oil in a blender and purée until smooth. Then allow to rest overnight in fridge.
2. Strain the juice from the mixture into a bowl. Place a little juice in the bottom of a pot and place the carrageen moss in on top and dissolve over a low heat.
3. Add to mixture and strain into sorbet machine. Mix until just about set (about ten to 15 minutes).
4. Whisk egg whites until stiff, then add pinch of salt and fold into the set sorbet mix. Remove and place in bowl. Cover and place in freezer.
To serve
As above. This sorbet is good served with a dash of fresh tomato juice (and an optional dash of vodka), between courses.
Kevin Thornton is a Michelin-starred chef and owner of Thornton’s Restaurant on St Stephen’s Green in Dublin. www.thorntonsrestaurant.com