Savory Granita Duet
Yield: 4 to 6 small
servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes of work, plus a minimum of 6 hours to freeze
A granita is flavored ice crystals,
delicate and exquisite. Usually it is made from something sweet and
served as dessert, but in these refreshing variations, the granita
has become a savory dish to be served as an appetizer, a salad
course, or a world-class palate cleanser. This sparkling duet is
very beautiful: it looks like a bowlful of tiny jewels. And
needless to say, it is light, light, light.
- Ideally, these two granitas should
be made at the same time and served together, But, of course, you
can make and serve them separately as well.
- Seasoned rice vinegar is a special
variety that is sweetened and lightly salted. If you substitute
plain rice vinegar, add 2 to 3 teaspoons sugar and increase the
salt to taste.
Cucumber-Mint Granita
2 medium-sized cucumbers (about
10 ounces each)
3 tablespoons minced fresh mint
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar (plus extra for sprinkling on
top)
A pinch of salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Peel and seed the cucumbers, and
chop them into 1-inch pieces. Place them in a blender or a food
processor with the mint and chives, and purée until
smooth.
- Transfer to a medium-small bowl,
and season with the vinegar, a tiny bit of salt, and the
pepper.
- Place the bowl in the freezer, and
stir (or poke at it with a fork) every half hour or so for the
first 3 hours. Then leave it to freezer overnight (or for a minimum
of 6 hours).
- Before serving, drag a fork through
the frozen mixture to make ice crystals. (This is like making
shaved ice by hand.) This shouldn't be too
difficult.
- Serve immediately in a small glass
bowl, side-by-side with Tomato-Basil Granita for a sparkly
aesthetic effect. Pass a cruet of extra seasoned rice vinegar to
sprinkle on top.
Tomato-Basil
Granita
6 medium-sized ripe tomatoes
(about 2 1/2 pounds)
10 leaves of fresh basil, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (plus extra for sprinkling on
top)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Cut the tomatoes in half; squeeze out and discard the
seeds. Grate the tomatoes with a hand-held grater. When you're
done, all you'll have left in your hand will be the skin. Discard
it, and place the grated pulp in a food processor, along with the
basil and garlic. Purée until
smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized bowl, and season with
vinegar, salt and pepper. Proceed exactly as in Steps 3 and 4 in
the preceding recipe.
- Serve immediately in a small glass bowl, side-by-side with
Cucumber-Mint Granita. Pass a cruet of red wine vinegar to sprinkle
on top.