Gooseberry & tarragon sorbet

Summer

This is sorbet at its most refreshing: it’s sharp, almost sour, then honey-sweet. It’s like a little fight kicking off in your mouth. Then, from nowhere, it’s all aniseed – that’s the effect of the tarragon, which is a beautiful herb to use in desserts, particularly sorbets and ices. (The sorbet works really well without it, too.) Riper berries give a sweeter sorbet, so add the sugar slowly, and taste before you churn. Reduce the amount of sugar by a few grammes to get the balance right, if you need to, but remember that the sweetness will be a little muted once the mixture is frozen.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

500g (1lb 2oz) ripe gooseberries
150g (5½oz) golden caster sugar
4 or 5 tarragon sprigs

For the gooseberry topping

2 handfuls of ripe gooseberries
1 squeeze of lemon juice
1 tablespoon golden caster sugar
a few tender tarragon sprigs, to serve (optional)

Method

Place all the sorbet ingredients along with 150ml (5fl oz) water into a large heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Bring the contents up to a simmer, then place a lid on the pan. Cook for 8–10 minutes, until the gooseberries are broken down and soft. Remove from the heat and push the mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl. Allow to cool, then chill in the refrigerator completely – about 1–2 hours. Pour the mixture into an ice-cream machine and churn until soft set, then remove to a bowl or container, cover, and place in the freezer to firm up for at least 3–4 hours.

To make the gooseberry topping, slice any larger gooseberries in half, leaving the smaller ones whole. Place in a bowl, pour over the lemon juice and toss the gooseberries to coat, then sprinkle in the sugar and toss to coat again.

Before serving, remove the sorbet from the freezer and allow it to stand at room temperature for 10–15 minutes to soften slightly. Serve a couple of scoops of sorbet in each glass or onto each plate, spoon over a few sugary gooseberries from the topping mixture, then finish off with a tender sprig of tarragon, if you like. Serve straight away.

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