For some reason, people think I eat out all the time. I like eating in restaurants, but I really like to cook make for myself and friends. When I do, I get to pick and choose exactly what I’m going to make, what I’m going to put into it, and how to cook it. I become the proverbial free man in Paris. At least in terms of cooking and baking.
Working as a pâtissier for so many years, people assumed that I want or make complicated, fancy desserts bulging with buttercream and towering with spun sugar, foam, spheres, and powders strewn all over the place. While I appreciate the work and skill that goes into those kinds of things, I really like simple food, especially after a big meal. I’m happy with simplicity, especially when it involves finding the best fruit at the market and taking it home and doing as little to it as possible, so it shines in the best possible way.
I’ve been writing a bit about Korean food, but Japanese cuisine is a pretty good example of how I like to eat. Japanese food shares something with French cuisine; start with good ingredients, and don’t over complicate them. Let the flavors shine.
I recently read Untangling My Chopsticks by Victoria Riccardi, about her studies of the food and ritual of tea kaiseki in Japan, and observed:“Through tea kaiseki I genuinely had come to believe that when you leave a meal, moment, or place not quite completely satisfied, you cherish it that much more because it was ephemeral and left you wanting.”
That was an interesting observation and remembered when Alice Waters was kind enough to write an introduction to Room for Dessert, my first book. She compared my sensibility to a perfect glass of tangerine juice that she was served in Japan for dessert.It wasn’t complicated, but the cool-sweet sensation of that little glass of juice hit exactly the right note after dinner. I always find desserts like that to be the most appealing, too.
Being citrus season, my market is exploding with colorful oranges sanguines. The merchants always slice a couple of blood oranges open and leave them facing outward, which act as a beacon to shoppers who marvel at their color, and can’t resist bringing a few home. When I started working at Chez Panisse back in the 1980’s, not many Americans had seen red-fleshed oranges, and customers were forever asking me, “How do you get the oranges that color?”
At the time, we’d gotten ours from Italy, but times have changed and now blood oranges are grown in America, and depending on where you live, they’re readily available.If they’re not, I think they’re worth moving for.
Orange Sorbet
If you can't get blood oranges, this sorbet works very well with regular oranges, tangerines, or even grapefruit juice. Be sure to use freshly-squeezed juice for best results!If you want to add Champagne or sparkling wine, about 2 tablespoons per cup (250ml) is about right. A bit of wine will improve the consistency for the sorbet, which tend to freeze quite hard. If you leave it in the freezer and it gets too hard, let it soften at room temperature 5 to 10 minutes before serving. You can read my other Tips on Making Homemade Ice Cream Softer.And if you can bear to toss the peels away, they can be candied and just a few rinds will reward you with enough candied peels to last you months and months. I have a recipe to make those in my book, Ready for Dessert if you want to give them a try.
Servings 1 quart (1l)
- 3 cups (700ml) freshly squeezed blood orange juice , (or regular orange juice)
- 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
In a small nonreactive saucepan mix 1 cup (250ml) juice with sugar.
Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.
Scrape the dissolved sugar and orange juice into the remaining 2 cups of blood orange juice.
Chill thoroughly, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.
Notes
Serving: This sorbet is terrific served shortly after serving and since it's natural, and there are no stabilizers or invert sugar (such as corn syrup), it will freeze harder than other sorbets if kept in the freezer. You may want to remove it from the freezer 5 to 10 minutes before scooping if it's too hard. You can also melt it down and rechurn it in your ice cream machine.
FAQs
Method. Put the orange juice, star anise and sugar into a pan. Bring to the boil, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved, then remove the star anise. Cool, then pour into an ice-cream machine and churn until smooth and frozen.
How is sorbet made? ›
Sorbet is essentially made of a simple sugar syrup, infused with fruit puree or juice or another flavoring agent like coffee or chocolate, that is then chilled and churned.
Are grapefruit and blood orange the same? ›
Blood oranges are about the same size or slightly smaller than the average orange. While the outside of the fruit is a vibrant orange color, slicing it will reveal a rich to deep red inside. In contrast, red grapefruit are a fair bit larger than a blood orange with skin about the same color or slightly paler.
What's the difference between orange sorbet and orange sherbet? ›
Sherbet and sorbet are both fruity frozen treats whose names are often incorrectly used interchangeably. The main difference? Sherbet contains dairy while sorbet has no dairy.
How does sorbet get creamy? ›
That's why pastry chefs look to liquid sugar like invert sugar, glucose, or dextrose, which all make sorbet creamier when used properly. The easiest alternative sugar—the one you can find in any American supermarket—is plain 'ol non-high-fructose corn syrup. Trust me: It's lemon sorbet's best friend.
What is the secret to good sorbet? ›
Tips For Making Any Fruit Sorbet
Use simple syrup to add sugar in the sorbet. Test the sugar level; adding too much or too little sugar affects the sorbet's texture. Make the base of the sorbet slightly too sweet before freezing. Get creative; infuse the simple syrup with herbs or spices.
What thickens sorbet? ›
Tapioca starch (or corn starch): tapioca starch fis our go-to starch to thicken a sorbet mixture, for the velvety texture it creates. If you do not have tapioca starch, you can use corn starch instead, which is not the same, but it still works.
What keeps sorbet soft? ›
1 to 2 tablespoons liqueur (this is for flavor, but it also prevents the sorbet from freezing solid. Alcohol won't freeze, so it is great insurance that you will have a soft sorbet. BUT, if you add too much sorbet won't freeze at all and you will basically have a margarita or daiquiri!)
Why put egg white in sorbet? ›
If you want a fluffier sorbet, you can add two egg whites, whipped to form stiff peaks, when the mixture begins to solidify.
Does sorbet need milk? ›
"Sorbet is made with fruit but no dairy (eggs or milk/cream) so it's generally vegan-friendly and suits those with egg or dairy allergies, too," she says. The pureness of the fruit makes it icy and refreshing, and it won't be silky or rich in its texture as some other kinds of ice creams and sherberts may be.
Homemade sorbet generally lasts for about 2 to 3 months when properly stored in the freezer. Ice crystals may develop after 1 month, so don't wait too long to enjoy it.
What is the new name for blood oranges? ›
The blood orange is a variety of orange with crimson, near blood-colored flesh. It is one of the sweet orange varieties (Citrus × sinensis). It is also known as the raspberry orange.
What is the sweetest blood orange? ›
Tarocco blood oranges are the sweetest of the blood orange varieties, and have long been cultivated in Sicily and other Mediterranean-like climates. There are at least three varieties of Tarocco oranges commercially available in California.
Why is my blood orange not red? ›
The flesh develops the red colouring when the fruits are subject to low night time temperatures. This is the same way that the skin of lemons turn from green to yellow. For this reason early season blood oranges can have quite low colouring although they are still technically blood oranges.
Is sorbet healthy than ice cream? ›
Sorbet has less calories than ice cream and other frozen desserts, and no fat. It's fruit content also makes it rich in vitamin C. Any downsides? That fruit content also means it contains a fair bit of sugar, and if we're comparing it with ice cream and gelato, it has less calcium, vitamin A and iron.
Is sorbet actually healthy? ›
For those who need dairy- or gluten-free dessert options, or who cannot eat eggs or nuts, sorbet may be a suitable option. In theory, a fruit sorbet is healthy, but most commercial varieties are based on sugar rather than fruit.
What's the difference between sherbet and sorbet? ›
What makes sorbet different from sherbet? Sorbet is strictly fruit juice and sugar while sherbet is fruit juice, sugar, and a bit of milk. The result is a creamier consistency for the sherbet and brighter, more vibrant flavor for the sorbet.
What's the difference between sorbet and sherbet? ›
The major difference between the two is that sherbet is made with dairy and sorbet isn't. Sherbet has more of a creamy texture that you'd expect from ice cream thanks to ingredients like milk, heavy cream, or buttermilk in the mix. Sorbet, on the other hand, is simply sugar and fruit.
