Clementine Granita with Orange & Grapefruit Segments

WARNING: This dessert is PG-21!

It’s spiked with a tab bit of the orange liqueur Gran Marnier. But you’ll find no apologies here ’cause it’s a deliciously simple and amazingly refreshing dessert that’s perfect for as a summertime after dinner treat!

Last week I purchased a crate of clementines that I definitely didn’t need (they looked so cute). Even after I used them to make three batches of Honey-Clementine Vinaigrette, I was still left with more. I wondered on the pages of this blog exactly what I would do with the remaining clementines. On that note, I got some great inspiration – thanks everybody!

We were in the middle of a heat wave, so I was really inspired to take a stab at a frozen treat – sorbet, sherbet, ice cream or granita. Hmmmmmm…decisions, decisions.

I decided to go with a granita. That’s when I came across a orange granita spiked with Lillet (a French aperitif) in the April issue of Gourmet magazine. I was instantly hooked. And the accompanying photograph just sealed the deal. “I’m in!” I said out loud.

I needed to put a few twist on it. First, I would use clementines instead of oranges… which I preferred – the clementines would give the final product a fruitier and less acidic flavor. Then I would ‘86’ the Lillet – I’m really not into recipes that require that you buy an entire bottle of a specialty drink that you’ll only use one time. I had a bottle of Gran Marnier on hand (orange liqueur) that would do just fine.

And lastly, I rally wanted to amp up the fresh factor of this dessert so I paired it with a ‘salad’ of citrus segments. I choose orange for its sharpness. I also thought that the slight bitterness of a grapefruit would provide a nice counter to the sweetness of the granita itself. (Monday Morning Quarterbacking: The first thing I noticed as I was eating the dessert is that it just wouldn’t be the same without the grapefruit. It really made the dessert.)

By the way, you could easily leave out the Gran Marnier for a non-alcoholic version. You’ll just need to be more diligent about scraping the juice as it freezes – the alcohol helps to prevent the mixture from getting too hard – it also gives it that fluffy texture that Gourmet so elegantly gushed over.

Enjoy!

CLEMENTINE GRANITA WITH ORANGE/GRAPEFRUIT SEGMENTS

Adapted from Gourmet, April 2009

1/3 granulated sugar

1/3 water

1 TSP clementine zest

2.5 TBL Gran Marnier

1.5 cups clementine juice

2 oranges

2 grapefruit

2 TBL mint, cut into chiffonades

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, water and zest to a boil. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Set aside until syrup has chilled. Add Gran Marnier and clementine juice.

Pour into an 8- to 9-inch glass baking dish and freeze until partially frozen, about 45 minutes. Scrape and stir with a fork, crushing any lumps. Continue to freeze, scraping once or twice, until evenly frozen and fluffy, about 1 1/2 hours more

Meanwhile with sharp knife, remove peel and pith of oranges. Cut out orange segments and place segments in a small bowl. Using your hand, squeeze remaining membrane over bowl containing segments to release its juice.

Repeat process with grapefruit using the same bowl containing orange segments and juice.

To serve, put citrus segments and reserved juice in the bottom of a individual bowls or martini glasses. Top each with a serving of the granita. Add mint for garnish.

Serves 6

Tagged as: Citrus, Clemintines, Frozen, Granita, Grapefruit, Oranges, Sorbet, summer