Recipes

Blood Orange and Campari Sorbetto

August 20, 2010 | in Commentary, Dessert, Granita - Italian Ice, Italian, Recipes, Summer
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 Blood Orange and Campari Sorbetto

blood orange sorbetThis recipe is a real winner. Especially on hot summer days.

When I lived on Miami Beach I started making this sorbet many different ways to twist it and be creative.

There are hundreds of recipes out there for this type of “Blood Orange and Campari Sorbet”, after years  of making it I feel the simplest ones are the very best and much more appreciated by the guests.

With that in mind don’t get to whimsical…it’s a sorbet and meant to be eaten slowly and appreciated for its interesting marriage of flavors and actual cooling effect it can possess when eaten on a very hot day.

Please, do not add candied zest or Campari syrup.  And definitely NO RED FOOD COLOR! 

“The WOW factor in this sorbet comes from making it simple and with LOVE.”

First let’s define the two main ingredients:

Blood Oranges: A sweet type of orange that has a pulp that is red or streaked with red color. These oranges are usually smaller in seize than a typical orange and it’s juice is known have a mild strawberry like taste.

In the U.S. these oranges are grown in Southern California and in many areas of Florida.

 

Campari: A bitter Italian aperitif, invented by Gaspare Campari in the mid 1860’s in Novara, Italy. It is made of a secrete blend of herbs steeped in alcohol.

This bitter is usually used as a mixer or served over ice. Now days Campari is produced in three factories worldwide: Brazil, France, and the main site of Navi Ligure in the Piedmont area of  Italy.

Blood Orange and Campari Sorbeto

Ingredients:

  • Blood oranges – 20
  • Sugar – 5- 1/4 cups
  • Water – 11-1/2 cups
  • Campari – 15-Tablespoons
  • Egg Whites – 10
  • Mint – fresh medium sprigs to garnish

Procedure:

  • Peel and remove the pith from 15 oranges
  • Squeeze and strain the juice from all the blood oranges
  • Dissolve the sugar in the water over low heat on your stove top
  • Once sugar is dissolved increase the heat and boil for two minutes
  • Use a wet pastry brush as necessary to brush down the sides of the pot if sugar begins to stick
  • Pour this hot liquid into a metallic bowl add the orange zest and let cool completely!
  • Once cooled add 2- 1/2 cups of the strained orange juice
  • Add the Campari and mix in well
  • Taste and adjust flavor according to your liking…more bitter add more Campari…more sweet add more sugar…more citrus add more blood orange juice etc…

Tip: Remember to not get to crazy when trying to balance flavor.  Once a flavor is overpowering it can not be removed.  So, go easy and slow create the flavor you like!

  • Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
  • When ready to make the sorbet place the liquid in an ice cream maker and let churn for 15 minutes
  • While churning…whisk the egg whites in a  CLEAN bowl until stiff and holds a firm peak.
  • Add to the machine and churn with the sorbet an additional 5-8 minutes more
  • Transfer all the sorbet to a freeze proof container, and close well.
  • Sorbet will stay up to 2 months at this point.

Once you make this recipe, you wont be able to wait until next summer to make it again.  It’s just that good. Enjoy!