It was a close contest…Picking a Star 10 in a sea of 10s is not an easy task, but in the end the light and bright taste and the cool element that this dish brought to the table won out against its competition and the Sparkling Wine Ice won the contest.
If you have an extra bottle of champagne waiting for an application and if you are in need of light dessert with a serious ‘touch of class’, this one is for you.
- Chez
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 lemons
- 1 bottle (750 ml.) champagne or other sparkling white wine, refrigerated
- ice cream maker (optional)
Preparation
- Combine the sugar and 1-cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool. Refrigerate if possible.
- Using the finest grater you have, lightly scrape the skin of one lemon, removing only the top surface of the peel. Squeeze the juice and remove the seeds from both lemons.
- Open the champagne or sparkling wine, and pour it into a 9 x 12 x 2-inch pan, or a container of equivalent volume. Mix in sugar water, lemon juice, and grated zest.
- Place mixture into the ice cream maker and run until it has incorporated enough air to double its volume.
If you do not have an ice cream maker, Place mixture into the freezer.
Check after 30 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, break up any ice formed on the sides and stir into the rest of the liquid. Continue to freeze and repeat this procedure every hour for at least 3 hours. The mixture will begin to take on a slushy consistency and eventually form into a sorbet or granizado of small ice crystals. Before serving, fluff the granizado by "chopping" up any clumps with the spoon or gently whisking the frozen mixture.
(Although this can be made in an ice-cream maker, one is not a necessity for this wine-based ice. The alcohol in the sparkling wine acts as an antifreeze that prevents the liquid from freezing solid. A few stirs every hour is sufficient to obtain the fine ice crystal consistency.)
