Today I got watermelon that was just out of the field, fabulous.
I came home and made some granita which will help in this horrible heat wave we are having.
This is a Sicilian recipe which I have simplified for my taste. There is nothing like the simplicity of Sicilian granita made with fresh seasonal fruits. Here our watermelon has seeds, so I take the chunks of watermelon and put them through a food mill, which separates the pulp from the seeds easily. This is also used to make Sicilian gelo solidifying the mixture with cornstarch instead of freezing.
If you want to make it ahead of time, let it sit out of the freezer to soften a little; it’s easier to scrape. Another trick is to freeze it overnight in ice cube trays and then purée in a blender. You can also use an ice cream machine.
It works with melon, almond, fresh berries, lemon, Campari and soda, orange, and coffee. For breakfast, Sicilians like coffee granita with whipped cream on top. Try it at Gelateria Carabé in Florence or at Tazza d’Oro in Rome.
Another treat with granita is to serve it topped with whipped cream. When you order, you can mix some flavors of granita. Almond milk goes well with caffee and with some of the fruit flavors. Ask and they will tell you what is good together!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds watermelon, peeled, seeded, & cubed
- 1-1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips
Instructions
- Heat sugar and water together until the sugar melts (simple syrup). Cool.
- Purée the watermelon in a blender.
- Add the sugar syrup. (At this point, it's called Aqua di Sandia in Mexico and you can drink it on ice)
- Put it into a metal pan in the freezer.
- After 1 hour, scrape with the tines of a fork.
- Let sit and scrape again after another hour.
- It should be firm enough to serve.
- Scrape it a final time before serving and stir in the chocolate chip "seeds!"