LEMON GRANITA

(Granita di Limone)

Serves 8 to 10

350 g/12 oz sugar

850 ml/1½ pints water

225 ml/8 fl oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

(You will need about 9 small lemons, which should ideally consist of 5 yellow lemons and 4 verdelli, which are small green summer lemons.)

Make a syrup of the sugar (add 125 g/4 oz more if you want a very sweet granita; subtract 125 g/4 oz if you prefer it sharp) and 225 ml/8 fl oz water, bringing it to the boiling point and cooking just long enough to be sure the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool and add the remaining water and the lemon juice. Stir well and pour into a shallow aluminium tray (a cake tin is perfect for this). Place in the freezer.

Remove from the freezer after half an hour and scrape down the sides and bottom of the tin, breaking up the part that has solidified and blending it into that which is still liquid. Repeat this every half hour, until the granita becomes a fairly firm, flaky slush. Remove the granita from the tin and serve at once, or return it to the freezer in a glass or plastic container that can be sealed. If left too long in the metal pan it will “burn”—i. e., the water will separate and form ice crystals.

Note: The ice-cream parlour near my house makes a much stronger granita di limone, using 2 parts juice to 4 parts water, but for pure refreshment I prefer the weaker version.