Snow Fruit Sorbet
A clear, fragrant ice made from tart fruit juice, sugar and snow (or crushed ice), a spectacular refreshment reserved for grand tables.
A clear, fragrant ice made from tart fruit juice, sugar and snow (or crushed ice), a spectacular refreshment reserved for grand tables.
Ah, here is what made my court's eyes pop! In Italy, they knew how to keep mountain snow in pits, and come summer, they made ices perfumed with fruit. Mix the fruit juice with fine sugar, then work it into the snow until it sets. Served in the middle of August, this miraculous cold was taken for sorcery — I saw only the spirit of my Florence.
- •Tart fruit juice (pomegranate, lemon, red currant) — two cups (flavor and acidity)
- •Fine sugar — to taste (sweetness, texture)
- •Snow or crushed ice — as needed (cold, setting)
- •Flower water (rose or orange blossom) — a few drops (court perfume)
Snow Fruit Sorbet
A clear, fragrant ice made from tart fruit juice, sugar and snow (or crushed ice), a spectacular refreshment reserved for grand tables.
Why this dish? Tradition — more legend than archive — holds that the Italian ice-makers in Catherine's retinue introduced sorbets to the French court; true or not, the image clings to the Florentine queen and her taste for novelties.
Ah, here is what made my court's eyes pop! In Italy, they knew how to keep mountain snow in pits, and come summer, they made ices perfumed with fruit. Mix the fruit juice with fine sugar, then work it into the snow until it sets. Served in the middle of August, this miraculous cold was taken for sorcery — I saw only the spirit of my Florence.
Ingredients (period version)
- Tart fruit juice (pomegranate, lemon, red currant) — two cups (flavor and acidity)
- Fine sugar — to taste (sweetness, texture)
- Snow or crushed ice — as needed (cold, setting)
- Flower water (rose or orange blossom) — a few drops (court perfume)
Ingredients
- Pomegranate or lemon + red currant juice — 40 cl (aromatic base)
- Sugar — 120 g (sweetness and texture)
- Water — 10 cl (syrup)
- Orange blossom water — 1 tsp (perfume)
Method
- Make a light syrup: heat water and sugar until dissolved, let cool.
- Mix the syrup, fruit juice, and orange blossom water.
- Pour into an ice cream maker, or into a freezer tray, scraping with a fork every 30 minutes.
- Work until you get a clear, granular ice, like a “granita”.
- Serve immediately in small cups, very cold.
How it was made : Snow and winter ice were stored in buried icehouses insulated with straw. Without widespread refrigeration salt before the late 16th century, early ices were mostly coarse granitas obtained by stirring the mixture in snow.
The contemporary twist : A granita served in a frosted glass with a few fresh pomegranate arils — the “Queen's Cold”.
Catherine de Medici · Charactorium
