I was originally intending to share this recipe with you, except the feta frozen yogurt turned out tasting like stale socks. No, doesn’t sound enticing? I don’t think so either.
What redeemed the recipe for me was this granita, which is meant to accompany the froyo kind of like a sidekick. An outrageous and daring one. That ended up stealing the show. First to enter the stage is the bright punch of blood orange, vibrant and vivacious, a vixen if you will. In typical two-step fashion, the mint comes later and imparts its cooling aftertaste reminiscent of my favorite beverage: the mojito.
I’m happy I have something to show for my efforts. And is it something! My magpie tendencies kicked into high gear after I’d crunched it up with a fork. All I wanted to do was bottle it up and hold it captive to the light. But, looks aren’t everything, and in this case, this granita functions perfectly as a guilt-free dessert. I mean, it’s basically a deconstructed sno-cone minus the artificial flavoring and more gorgeously-flavored.
Granitas are so simple to make! More clean-up than preparation, you basically juice and zest the heck out of blood oranges (I believe the proper term is ‘pulverize’ haha), toss a handful of mint in, and blend. Run the sludgy liquid through a sieve, freeze the remains, and ta-da! The granita is born.
BLOOD ORANGE AND MINT GRANITA
From Food52
Makes enough for roughly 4 people
Ingredients:
4 juicy, ripe blood oranges
big handful of mint leaves
lemon juice, if necessary
Directions:
Cut the blood oranges in half and run a knife around the inside rim. Gut them with a spoon over a bowl to catch all the juice, and put the guts into the bowl. (Don’t worry if a bit of rind goes in, as we just want as much pulp and juice as possible.) Zest the orange peels into the bowl. Throw in a handful of mint and immersion blend or food process the mixture til it is quite pulpy.
Strain through a strainer. Pour a thin layer of the liquid into a freezer safe baking dish. Freeze for 2 to 3 hours. When mine was completely frozen, I set the dish on the counter for awhile to let it melt a bit. Then, using a fork, tines facing up, push down into the granita like you’re mashing it. It should give pretty easily if it’s melted enough.
Alternative, you can check on your granita every now and then, raking it with a fork every time it looks like the liquid is freezing. After a couple hours, the granita should be frozen but flaky.
Haha oh dear, that feta version doesn’t sound great! But this looks and sounds lovely – the perfect palate cleanser.
lol, yes, dirty socks does conjure up horrible images, doesn’t it?
Oooo yum, more citrus + herbs! Your mention of the mojito reminds me of the fleeting fantasy I had during the summer to make boozy granita. (Mojitos and mint juleps and palomas — it would work well with so many summery drinks.) Maybe if I work on my patience, I’ll be able to mix up a couple of cocktails this summer and then actually wait for them to freeze!
What a bummer that feta frozen yogurt didn’t work out. It sounds so amazing…I’m sad that it tastes like socks. At least the granita saved the day!
It’s quite possible user error was involved… (in other words, I might’ve added a little too much feta. Still haven’t figured that one out yet.) I mean, if the Food52 team loved it, I don’t see how it could be such a big fail for me, right?
But yes! A boozy granita. Can you make that happen? I know you can make that happen. That sounds absolutely a-MAY-zing.
yum! this sounds great, linda, even in sub-freezing temps!
lol. This is, um, a testament to how much I love frozen desserts.
Seriously though, back in California, I loved to proclaim how my love for ice cream overcame seasonal divides. But here, yowza, it’s way too cold.