Pineapple Sorbet

Another fabulous recipe from one of my favourite writers, Claire Macdonald.  This time it's a pineapple sorbet which, as she says, is a delicious pud to end a rich lunch or supper, especially in the winter when we tend to eat richer, more sustaining food.  It is ridiculously easy to make, and keeps in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.  It is both gluten and dairy free as well as being delicious!   There was too much for me to make in my trusty ice-cream maker, but the freezer worked very well.    What transforms frozen syrup into a delicious sorbet is beating it up - not quite complete here, as you can still see chunks of frozen pineapple!

Pineapple Sorbet

Pineapple Sorbet

1 medium sized pineapple

1.5pints/1 litre water

8oz/250g sugar

pared rind and juice of 2 lemons

2 egg whites

Put the water, sugar and rind into a saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved.  Boil fast for 5 minutes, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the juice.  Leave to cool (easy in this weather!).  Skin the pineapple and put the flesh into a food processor and blend it to a smooth purée. 

Strian the syrup and stir into the puree.  Put the mixture into a large polythene tub and freeze for 2-3 hours.  Remove from the freezer, add the egg whites, stiffly whisked, and return.  Freeze for another couple of hours, and then beat it up again.  This makes the sorbet light, with a smooth texture.

Claire’s tip for serving is to remove the container half an hour before serving, whilst putting the serving bowl into the fridge, so that the sorbet stays firm when you transfer it at the point of serving.