Basil And Orange Granita Recipes

LEMON-BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar with 3 cups water in a medium saucepan. Warm the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from the heat, and cool to room temperature.
• Add the basil to the sugar syrup and muddle the leaves with the base of a wooden spoon. Let steep for 1 hour. Strain the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish (discard the basil). Stir in the lemon juice and vodka, if using. Freeze until the mixture begins to set, about 2 hours. Scrape with a fork to form small crystals in the ice every 30 minutes to an hour until the mixture is fully frozen, about 1 hour more.
• Serve the granita in chilled glasses, garnished with the small basil leaves.

LEMON BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Add the water, sugar, lemon zest, and basil to a medium sauce pan. Over medium heat bring the mixture to a boil.
• Once the mixture comes to a boil turn the heat down slightly and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat after the 5 minutes and cover. Let this mixture steep for 15 minutes.
• Strain the mixture into a bread pan and discard the lemon zest and basil leaves. Add the lemon juice. Cool for about 10 minutes and set in the refrigerator.
• Once the mixture is chilled move it to the freezer. After 30 minutes take a fork and scrape the ice off of the sides of the bread pan. Continue this process until the mixture is frozen.
• Scoop into dessert dishes and serve.

ORANGE-BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Bring sugar and 1 cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in basil. Let syrup stand 15 minutes.
• Stir together orange juice, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl. Pour basil syrup through a fine sieve into the orange juice mixture; discard basil.
• Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch shallow nonreactive dish. Chill in freezer until edges are frozen, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from freezer; scrape with fork tines, pulling from edges into center. Return to freezer. Repeat process every 30 minutes until mixture is the texture of shaved ice, about 4 1/2 hours. Spoon into serving bowls, and garnish with basil.

BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar and water in a pot over medium-high heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in lemon juice. Add the basil cubes and stir the mixture until they are dissolved.
• Pour the mixture into a large pan and place in the freezer. After 30 minutes, take the mixture out of the freezer and, using a fork, scrape the granita in to flakes. Freeze. Repeat every 30 minutes until there is no more liquid and all you have are fluffy fine crystals.

TOMATO & BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Chop the tomatoes and place in a bowl with all the other ingredients except the basil leaves. If you have time, leave them to macerate at room temperature overnight. Blitz in a blender - in batches, then strain through a fine sieve. Shred the basil leaves and stir through.
• Clear a shelf in the freezer and place a sided metal tray in to chill. Make up your mix and leave to cool, then pour into the tray and cover with cling film. Freeze the liquid until frozen around the edges and slushy in the middle. Use a fork to break up the ice into smaller crystals. Return the tray to the freezer. Repeat the breaking up process every half hour (at least three times) until it's completely frozen and the texture of snow. For a quicker method: freeze the mixture in an ice tray, then blitz the cubes in a food processor just before serving. The texture will be slightly slushier, but just as delicious.

FANCY SCHMANCY CITRUS GRANITA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and 1 cup water to a simmer over medium low heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat. Stir in basil and let syrup stand for about 15 minutes.
• Now stir together orange juice, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl. Pour basil syrup through a fine sieve into the citrus juice mixture; discard basil.
• Move the mixture to a 9"x13" shallow glass or nonreactive dish. Chill in the freezer until edges are frozen, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the freezer; scrape with a fork, pulling from the edges into center. Return to the freezer. Repeat process every 30 minutes until the mix is the texture of shaved ice, about 4 hours. Spoon into serving bowls and garnish with a basil sprig and lemon wheel, if using. This makes it fancy! Now eat it up!

BASIL AND LIME GRANITA

Steps:

• In a pan, dissolve the sugar in the water. Bring it to a boil and simmer for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat, and add the basil leaves. Mix and leave to cool.
• When it is cold, remove the basil leaves and discard them. Add the lime juice, including any fleshy bits, and mix.
• Pour into a large freezer proof container, and put into the freezer.
• Every 15 minutes, for 2 hours, take out of the freezer and mix it up. Then every half an hour until the granita appears grainy and the crystals have been broken down. It should resemble snow or coarse sand.
• Enjoy!

VODKA WATERMELON AND BASIL GRANITA - HEAT WAVE TREATS

Steps:

• Combine everything together and blitz in the blender until smooth.
• Pour into one or two flat containers with a lid. Freeze for 1½-2 hours. Place your serving glasses in the freezer also.
• Scrape the granita with a fork to make nice ice crystals. Put back in the freezer and repeat after 30 minutes.
• Serve the granita in cold glasses with a fresh leaf of basil on top. It's really nice to eat this with fresh cut watermelon on the side. Enjoy!

BASIL AND ORANGE GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar, 2 cups water, and orange zest in a medium saucepan. Simmer until sugar is dissolved. Stir in the basil, orange juice and lemon juice. Let stand at room temperature to infuse for one hour, or refrigerate up to overnight.
• Pour into a wide shallow container. Cover with a lid, plastic wrap, or foil. Transfer to freezer until frozen around the edges. Remove from freezer, and scrape the ice with a fork, mixing it from the edge into the center. Return to freezer. Repeat scraping and mixing process every 30 minutes or so (at least 3 times) until the entire mixture has turned into small, sequined ice flakes.
• Best eaten immediately. If leaving in freezer overnight or longer, let sit at room temperature until it softens a little, then scrape it again with a fork to lighten the texture.