Cool off this summer with this delicious recipe for sorbet using tequila and fresh basil – it’s the ultimate remedy for hot, humid summer days in Bermuda.
Ingredients:
1 cup plus 2-1/2 Tbs. strained fresh lemon juice (from about 1-2/3 lb. lemons)
1 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups light corn syrup
3 Tbs. tequila
2 Tbs. packed fresh basil
1/8 tsp. guar gum (optional)
1 tsp. finely grated and minced lemon zest
1 large egg in its shell, washed and dried
Directions:
Stir 1-1/2 cups water into the lemon juice, and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
Put the sugar and 1 cup water into a medium container. Cover tightly and shake until the sugar is dissolved. Add the corn syrup; stir to combine. Chill in the refrigerator until cold, about 30 minutes.
Put the lemon juice, 1 cup of the simple syrup, the tequila, basil, and guar gum (if using) in a blender. Blend until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a tall (6 to 8 cup) container. Stir in the lemon zest.
To check the density of the sorbet base, gently lower the egg into the container with a slotted spoon (don’t drop it in or it could break). If the egg sinks, remove it and stir in 2 Tbs. of the simple syrup. The goal is to adjust the sugar density with the syrup until the egg floats just below the surface of the sorbet base with an exposed area of shell that’s about the size of a quarter. Keep testing with the egg, adding more syrup 2 Tbs. at a time, until the egg floats as shown below. When it does, remove the egg. Refrigerate the sorbet base until very cold, at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours.
Freeze the sorbet base in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. While the sorbet is churning, put two pint-size containers in the freezer. Transfer the sorbet to the pint containers and freeze until hardened, at least 4 hours before serving. If the sorbet hardens too much to scoop, let it sit in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before serving.
