Honey Dew And Sake Granita Recipes

WINE, HONEYDEW, AND TARRAGON GRANITA

Steps:

• 1. Combine the wine and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, then cool.
• 2. Puree the honeydew and tarragon in a blender, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a mixing bowl. Combine the wine, honeydew juice, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt, then transfer to a square baking dish. Put in the freezer until firm, scraping and stirring with a fork every 30 minutes until the mixture is slushy, about 2 hours. Serve garnished with tarragon leaves or sprigs.

HONEY-DEW AND SAKE GRANITA

Steps:

• To make the granita:
• In a small saucepan combine the sugar and 3-1/2 cups water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring. In a blender purée the ginger with the syrup, the wine, and the food coloring, chill the mixture until is cold, and stir it. Transfer the mixture to 2 metal ice-cube trays without the dividers or to a shallow metal pan and freeze it, stirring and crushing the lumps with a fork every 30 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours, or until it is firm but not frozen solid. The granita may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and frozen. Scrape the granita with a fork to lighten the texture.
• On each of 4 plates arrange 2 of the honeydew slices and top 1 of the slices on each plate with a scoop of the honeydew and sake granita. Top the other slices with a scoop of the pickled ginger and plum-wine granita.

HONEYDEW AND MINT GRANITA

Steps:

• Bring the sugar and 3/4 cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the mint, pressing with a wooden spoon to submerge. Let cool completely, then remove the mint with a slotted spoon and discard.
• Combine the mint syrup, honeydew and lime juice in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a 7-by-11-inch or 8-inch square metal baking dish.
• Freeze the honeydew-mint mixture until ice crystals begin to form around the edges, about 45 minutes. Scrape the crystals toward the center of the pan with a fork, breaking apart any large chunks. Continue freezing, scraping every 30 minutes or so, until all of the granita has been scraped into flakes, 3 to 4 hours. Spoon into chilled bowls and top with mint leaves.

CUCUMBER AND SAKE GRANITA

Steps:

• In a blender, purée the sugar and 1/4 cup water on high for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides, let rest for a minute and then purée again for 30 seconds.
• Add the cucumbers, melon, lime juice, sake and a pinch of salt. Purée the mixture until smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large baking dish. Freeze the mixture. Scrape with a fork until light and fluffy, like fresh snow. Serve in small bowls or glasses, topped with a light sprinkle of sea salt and shiso leaf.

FAR EAST SHRIMP COCKTAIL WITH HONEYDEW GRANITA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, simmer sugar and 1 3/4 cups water until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Stir in wasabi and let cool.
• In a food processor, puree melon. Measure 2 1/4 cups; discard remainder. Process melon and ginger until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in cooled sugar syrup.
• Pour into a 9-by-13-inch glass or metal baking dish. Freeze until ice crystals form around the edge, about 45 minutes. Using a fork, gently stir crystals into middle of dish, breaking up clumps. Repeat often until totally set and granular, freezing about 30 minutes each time; this will take about 2 hours.
• Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails on and reserving shells. In a saucepan, bring shells, cilantro, sake, 1 cup water, and salt to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, skimming scum from surface, until flavorful, about 30 minutes. Pour through a cheesecloth-lined strainer into a skillet, pressing solids to extract liquid. Over high heat, bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat so liquid simmers. Poach shrimp, adjusting heat to maintain a bare simmer, until pink and cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer shrimp to a small baking dish. Cover with cooking liquid, let cool, and chill.
• Sprinkle cucumber and pickled ginger over granita and fold in using a fork. Spoon into glasses; sprinkle with shiso. Place shrimp over glasses and serve immediately.

HONEYDEW GRANITA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Cool., Pulse honeydew, sugar syrup and wine in batches in a food processor until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Transfer to an 8-in. square dish. Freeze 1 hour. Stir with a fork. Freeze, stirring every 30 minutes, until frozen, 2-3 hours longer. Stir again with a fork just before serving.