ENTERTAINING

Recipes

July 18, 2023

Mango and basil sorbet

Refreshingly tasty, this sorbet delivers both on flavour and visual impact with its bright colour. Zingy and vibrant with the freshness from the basil it is great as a palate cleanser while its smoothness makes it a great option as a refreshing summer dessert.

Yield: 1 litre

Preparation time: 15 minutes + freezing

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients for the syrup

220g sugar
150g water
35g liquid glucose

Ingredients for the sorbet

2 mangos roughly chopped (600g)
4g Fresh basil
6 teaspoons lemon juice
2 grams citric acid (optional)

Instructions

1. Start by making the sugar syrup. Place the sugar water and glucose in a heavy based pot, and place on a medium heat. Once the mixture comes to a boil give it a gentle stir to combine all the ingredients and cook for 1 minute or until the sugar has dissolved completely and the mixture start to slightly change colour. Remove from the heat at once and set aside to cool completely.

2. Place the mangos, lemon juice and citric acid if using in a liquidizer and blend well. With the motor still running, slowly add the sugar syrup. Once all is well combined tip in the basil and blitz for a few seconds until the basil is evenly distributed.

3. Pour the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour or until the mixture is cold.

4. Tip the mixture into an ice cream churner and churn until the sorbet solidifies. Transfer to a resealable container and place in the freezer until ready to use.

Chef’s tips

When making the sugar syrup do not be tempted to stir the mixture too often as although the glucose acts as a stabilizer there might still be the risk of the mixture crystallizing.
If you do not have an ice cream churner place the mango mixture directly into a freezer container. After 2 hours give the sorbet a good mix, this will help to reduce the amount of ice crystals forming. Repeat again after 1 hour and return to the freezer until the sorbet sets.
Remove the sorbet from the freezer a couple of minutes before serving.
Plunging a spoon or ice cream scoop in hot water before scooping out the sorbet will result in a smoother ball to serve.