Raspberry - Shiso Sorbet

 I have always loved frozen sweet treats. Growing up in Shanghai (which gets extremely humid and hot every summer), the adults around me often complained about the long sauna like summer days. However I secretly always looked forward to summer, to the stickiness of it all, the melted ice cream between my fingers, the sweaty hair sticking to my face (a sign of me having a blast in P.E. class).

After moving to LA, the first major adjustment was food. Everything tasted so different and my tastebuds were constantly confused. Popcorns are salty and licorice candies???? I was slowly losing hope inside. As a kid, I couldn't care less about who the president was at the time, but I did notice there was a soft serve machine in my middle school cafeteria. One pump for chocolate, one pump for vanilla, and the last pump, chocolate vanilla swirl!

I skipped many proper meals (especially lunch), I couldn’t allow myself to eat day old cafeteria lasagna, so I stuffed myself with cereal, baked potatoes and chocolate vanilla soft serve stuffed in borderline stale tasting sugar cones. This is a long way to say I love my ice cream. As I got older and traveled more, gelato and sorbet were introduced in my life. I decided it is time to get my hands dirty and learn how to make my favorite desserts.

I have strategically stayed away from making sorbet at home even though most sorbet recipes are much simpler than gelatos. I have always read that homemade sorbet tend to form ice crystals and become more like a slushy. However this recipe from the cookbook SEASON by Chef Nik Sharma has such an unique flavor combo I simply couldn’t say no. I am extremely glad I gave it a chance, the end product is creamy, refreshing and flavorful. It is the perfect balance between tart and sweetness. It is probably one of the best sorbet recipes I have ever seen in any gelato recipe book. I hope you will give it a try and feel free to send me a message and let me know how yours turned out!

making 1 Pint (480 ml)

1 cup (200g) sugar
1 cup (240ml) water
20 green shiso leaves
4 cups (480g) fresh raspberries
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a rolling boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove the simple syrup from the hear. Add the shiso eaves and, with a muddler or wooden soigné crash them into the syrup. Cover and steep fr 2 hours at room temp. Discard the leaves. Transfer the syrup to a blender add the raspberries and lemon juice, and pulse until well combined. Set the cheesecloth-lined strainer over a bowl, and pass the sorbet base through the strainer, discarding the seeds left behind. Refrigerate or pour into a resealable plastic bag, and plunge into a bowl filled with ice water, until the sorbet base reaches 40°F (5°C) on an instant-read thermometer.

Transfer the sorbet base to an ice cream maker, and churn according to the manufactures instructions. Spoon into an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours. To serve, leave the sorbet at room temp for about 5 minutes before scooping. Store the leftover sorbet in the freezer for up to 1 week.

Recipe from Season by Nik Sharma