Lemon Sorbet
- 2 lb lemons
- 2 cups water
- ½ lb sugar
- 2 egg whites , (optional)
Prepare a simple syrup with the water, sugar and thinly-sliced lemon peel. Boil for 5-6 minutes, then cool completely. Filter the syrup and add the filtered juice from the lemons.
If you have a ice cream maker, add the sorbet base to the machine and run the machine until the sorbet has reached your desired consistency.
Otherwise, put the mixture into a bowl and place in the freezer for 10 minutes. Then remove and use a whisk to break apart the ice crystals. Return to the freezer for 10 minutes and repeat, taking care to stir the sorbet from time to time to avoid ice crystals forming.
If you want a fluffier sorbet, you can add two egg whites, whipped to form stiff peaks, when the mixture begins to solidify. Fold in the egg whites carefully using the whisk from the bottom up.
Chef’s Tips
To keep the sorbet form being bitter, make sure that you use only the yellow part of the lemon peel. The pithy white part can be astringent.
Did you know that…
The word sorbet comes from the Arab word sharbet, meaning sweet snow, which in turn comes from the verb sherber, meaning to sip?