Sicilian Lemon Granita Recipes

Steps:

• Pour water and sugar into a saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar melts; do not bring to a boil. Remove from heat when the sugar has completely dissolved and the water is no longer cloudy. Add lemon juice and stir until combined. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Pour into a freezer-safe dish that has a tight lid. Cover and put into the freezer until it begins to freeze around the edges, but is still slushy in the center, about 45 minutes.
• Lightly stir the crystals from the edge of the granita mixture into the center using a fork and mix thoroughly. Replace the lid. Close the freezer and chill until granita is nearly frozen, 30 to 40 more minutes.
• Mix lightly with a fork as before, scraping the crystals loose. Repeat freezing and stirring with the fork 3 to 4 times until crystals are separate and the granita is light, dry, and fluffy.
• Serve each portion with 1/2 of a lemon wheel and fresh lemon zest on top.

Steps:

• With a vegetable peeler remove zest in long pieces from 2 lemons. Squeeze 1/2 cup juice from lemons.
• In a small heavy saucepan heat water and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in zest and transfer syrup to a bowl to cool. Chill syrup, covered, until cold. Discard zest and stir in lemon juice.
• For eastern-Sicilian granita:
• Freeze lemon mixture in an ice-cream maker until spoonable but not crumbly and serve immediately.
• For western-Sicilian granita:
• Freeze lemon mixture in a metal bowl, stirring every 30 minutes to remove ice crystals from side of bowl, until liquid has become granular but is still slightly slushy, about 3 to 4 hours. Serve granita immediately.

Steps:

• Place the zest, water, mint springs, and agave or sugar in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir for about one minute.
• Remove from the heat, and allow the syrup to cool slightly in the refrigerator.
• When chilled, strain out the lemon zest and the mint sprigs.
• Stir the lemon juice into the chilled syrup. Taste to make sure the mixture is not too tart; if it is, add a little more sugar.
• Pour the mixture into a 9x13-inch shallow baking dish (metal, ceramic, or glass), so the mixture is about an inch deep.
• Place in the freezer.
• Every 30 minutes stir with a fork, scraping the crystals down from the side of the dish.
• When the granita is slightly slushy, but definitely frozen hard, with small firm granules of ice, it's done. It will take 2-3 hours to get to this stage.
• The granita may be transferred to an airtight container and stored for a couple hours before serving.
• Remove the granita from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving, so it softens slightly.
• Serve in dessert bowls or glasses.

Steps:

• Begin the preceding night by squeezing the lemons into a strainer formed by placing a coffee filter in a strainer. Strain the lemon juice into a small bowl containing the cold water - this is a very slow drop-by-drop process.
• Add the sugar the next morning.
• Mix very well with a wooden spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Pour into a tin or aluminum pan.
• Place the pan in the freezer.
• Let rest for about 5 hours, breaking up the solid layer of ice which forms at least once every hour.
• Remove the pan from the freezer.
• Cut the ice into pieces with a knife.
• Place the ice pieces in an ice crusher (or into a blender running at low speed).
• The ice should form a smooth consistent texture of imperceptible grains (almost like ice cream - no large grains or chunks).
• Transfer to individual serving glasses.