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Watermelon-Sake Sorbet

I know you’re going to be tempted to use seedless watermelon here, but don’t. I’ve never tasted one that I particularly liked. And because I have a penchant for making things harder than they should be, I don’t mind plucking out the seeds. For some reason, the harder something is to make, the better it tastes. (And I wonder why I spend a majority of my life in the kitchen.) Don’t worry about using a fancy sake—inexpensive brands work really well in this recipe. And unless you read Japanese, you’re not likely to be able to ascertain the difference trying to read the labels at the store.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

Ingredients

4 cups (1 1/4 pounds/600 g) small watermelon chunks, seeded
2/3 cup (130 g) sugar
2/3 cup (160 ml) sake
Freshly squeezed lime juice

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender, purée the watermelon chunks with the sugar and sake until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl, taste, and add a few drops of lime juice to adjust the sweetness to your liking. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

    Step 2

    Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

  2. Variation

    Step 3

    This sorbet makes excellent popsicles that are very refreshing in the summertime. Rather than churning the mixture in an ice cream machine, simply pour it into popsicle molds and freeze.

Cover of David Lebovitz's Ready for Dessert featuring plates of cookies and a glass of milk.
Reprinted with permission from Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes, copyright 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved. Buy the full book at Amazon or Bookshop.
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