Rhubarb & strawberry sorbet

November 1-2, 2014

I'd kind of promised icecream for our pizza party, but then I got all excited about that baked ginger cheesecake. I figured something fruit-based might best match it and pulled out The Perfect Scoop for a browse. It didn't take long to pick the rhubarb and strawberry sorbet.

If you're comfortable stewing rhubarb and have a food processor or blender then you've got this recipe sewn up - the method's reasonably simple and the ingredient list is simpler still. I found that the sorbet's consistency was a little crystalline straight from the freezer, but it became soft and frothy as it melted. It was a cool and tangy contrast to a dense, creamy and spicy cheesecake.

Rhubarb & strawberry sorbet
(adapted very slightly from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop)

400g rhubarb
2/3 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
250g punnet strawberries
1/2 teaspoon squeeze lemon juice

Wash the rhubarb, remove the leaves and trim the stems. Slice the stalks into 2cm lengths. Place them in a medium-large saucepan with the water and sugar. Bring it all to the boil, then turn down the heat and pop a lid on top, simmering the rhubarb for 5-10 minutes until cooked through. Let the rhubarb cool to room temperature before continuing.

Wash and hull the strawberries. Place them in a food processor with the rhubarb and its syrup and squeeze over the lemon juice. Blend it all together very thoroughly, until it is as smooth as possible. Refrigerate the mixture until it is very cold, ideally overnight.

Churn the sorbet mixture according to the manufacturer's instructions and freeze it for at least 4 hours before serving.