Champagne Cantaloupe Granita Food

CHAMPAGNE GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and place in the refrigerator until cold, about 1 hour.
• Using the finest grater you have, lightly scrape the skin of 1 lemon, removing only the top surface of the peel. Squeeze out the juice and remove the seeds from both lemons.
• Open the Champagne or sparkling wine, and pour it into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch pan. Mix in the simple syrup, lemon juice, and grated zest. Place mixture into the freezer. Check after 30 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, break up any ice formed on the sides and stir into the rest of the liquid. Continue to freeze and repeat this procedure every hour for at least 3 hours. Before serving, fluff the granita by "chopping" up any clumps with the spoon or gently whisking the frozen mixture. Spoon into small glasses or cups and serve.

CANTALOUPE GRANITA

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, cut melon in half lengthwise. Remove seeds with a spoon, and discard. Slice off and discard skin and pale-green flesh. Cut melon into large chunks.
• Place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, and puree until smooth. Transfer to a nonreactive stainless steel bowl, and set aside.
• Combine sugar, lemon juice, and the water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from heat; let cool completely.
• Stir sugar syrup into melon puree; place in freezer, uncovered, until mixture is chunky, about 1 1/2 hours, whisking every 20 minutes to keep it from becoming too solid. To serve, divide among four shallow bowls.

CANTALOUPE GRANITA

Steps:

• Purée all ingredients in a blender until smooth, then pour into a 13- by 9-inch metal pan and freeze until mixture becomes a firm slush, at least 40 minutes. Scrape with a fork and serve in chilled glasses.

CANTALOUPE GRANITA

Steps:

• Place the sugar, melon and lime juice in a blender. Process the mixture until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Freeze for 2 or 3 hours, and then begin the process of lightly scraping the top frozen layer with a fork.
• Return the pan to the freezer with the shaved ice on top. Remove a couple of hours later and continue scraping with a fork. Repeat the occasional scraping process until the entire mixture is shaved.
• Store, covered in plastic wrap, until serving.
• Serve in pretty glasses with mint.

CANTALOUPE AND MINT GRANITA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and 1 cup mint leaves over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool, about 20 minutes. Strain before using.
• In a blender, puree the cooled syrup, cantaloupe, and lime juice until smooth. Taste, and adjust the sweetness by blending in 1 extra tablespoon of sugar at a time. Add the remaining mint leaves and blend until finely chopped. Pour the mixture into a 9-by-13-by-2-inch glass baking dish and freeze until firm, at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Use the tines of a fork to scrape the granita into chilled bowls and serve.

CANTALOUPE GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar and water over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the mint. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.
• Puree the fruit in a food processor until liquefied. Pour the fruit into a medium bowl and add the salt. Remove the mint leaves from the syrup. Add the syrup to the pureed fruit and mix well.
• Pour the cantaloupe mixture into a pre-chilled 7 by 12-inch glass baking dish. Place it uncovered into the freezer. Stir with a fork every 1/2 hour until almost completely frozen but still grainy, about 3 to 4 hours.
• Cooking Notes: This works best in 2 glass loaf pans or one 7 by 12-inch glass baking dish. The only critical point here is NOT to stir it past the almost frozen state or the ice crystals will become too fine and hard to scrape.
• Entertaining Notes: To serve, find a really interesting glass or bowl and dip it in cold water. Put the bowl into the freezer for 15 minutes; repeat. The result will be a frosted glass that looks great and sets the right backdrop for the granita.

WATERMELON GRANITA WITH CHAMPAGNE

Steps:

• Place cubed watermelon and sugar in the pitcher of a blender. Blend for 1 minute. Stir in the champagne. Pour the watermelon mixture into a plastic container, cover and place in the freezer. Stir the mixture with a fork every 30 minutes until frozen, about 2 hours.
• Before serving, remove the frozen granita from the freezer and stir well using a fork or place in the food processor and process until it reaches the desired consistency. Serve in tall glasses garnished with sliced watermelon.