I don't know if it is a craving for vitamin C or just that great freshness that citrus brings to the last days of winter, but we have been eating more than our share of citrus around here. I've been loving ruby red grapefruits, Gabe has had a hankering for navel oranges, and we have all been racing through the clementines.
I was trying to think of something to make with clementines when my friend Carey said that one of the women chefs at the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance's National Gala had served clementine ice cream. I have to digress for a minute to say something about Carey. She has an amazing amount of energy and focus and has used some of it to start an organization called Teal Toes, which encourages people (yes, men, you too!) to paint their toenails teal. Because the color is unusual, it attracts attention and creates the perfect opportunity to raise awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer. The symptoms, like bloating and abdominal pain, are so common that many women don't take them seriously. But early detection means a better chance of survival.
So check out the symptoms, talk to the women in your life about them, paint your toes teal, and kick back with a bowl of sorbet. And toast Carey. Because in addition to her amazing organizing skills, she is a great cook and a discerning eater. I know I can trust her to tell me what's good, so I was inspired to try my own clementine concoction at home.
I decided to make sorbet instead of ice cream because I wanted something light and refreshing. On my first try, I made the mistake of bringing the juice to a simmer to incorporate the sugar, but that gave it an overly-ripe taste that was very unpleasant. The second time, I made a simple sugar syrup apart from the clementine juice and let it cool before adding it to the juice. This let the juice maintain its freshness.
I also added the zest and juice of a Meyer lemon to balance the sweetness of the clementines with some acid. I think the result was even better than a fresh clementine. If only I could have come up with somethintg teal to sprinkle on top.
The sorbet made an excellent light dessert which was a nice finishing touch to a big meal. Or it would have been if we hadn't eaten it with brownies.
Second helping: Roses des Sables (quick, crisp chocolatey goodness)
Thirds?: Butter Crackers (Olivia's first recipe for HTC!)
Clementine Sorbet
You can use any method you like for juicing the clementines. If you have an electric juicer, the fastest approach might be to juice them that way. Faced with the prospect of squeezing mine by hand on my tiny manual juicer, I looked for other options. I found that the easiest approach was to chop the clementines in a food processor and then to run them through a food mill to remove the membranes. This approach violates one of my usual kitchen rules about not using more than one mechanical aid, but it was faster than using the food processor and a seive or using the food mill without chopping the sections first.
Serves 6
30 minutes preparation and cooking time, plus time in the ice cream maker and for chilling
18 clementines
zest (about 1 teaspoon) and juice (about 2 tablespoons) of 1 Meyer lemon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Pour the sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a small stock pot. Heat it over medium-high heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Set the pot aside to cool.
Peel the clementines and remove any large white pith from their centers. Break each clementine into a few groups of sections.
Place the disk with the largest holes in a food mill and set it over a large bowl. Working in batches, coarsely chop the clementines in a food processor. As you chop each batch, transfer it to the food mill. Run the clementines through the food mill until all of the juice is extracted. You should get about 3 cups.
Add the cooled syrup to the clementine juice, along with the the zest and juice of the Meyer lemon. Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Gave up sweets for lent, but I am totally painting my toes teal!!!
Posted by: Pam | March 10, 2011 at 11:01 AM
When I hear what you did with your children, I wish I did the same.The birthday story idea is a real magic one. Thank you for sharing and bringing tears to my eyes.
Posted by: Chantal | March 27, 2011 at 01:46 PM