Watermelon and lemon granita
“Watermelon festivals seem to occur worldwide, at the end of summer and into early autumn, when they are abundant and sweet.”
- 1kg of watermelon flesh
- 150g of sugar
- 2 lemons
- gin (optional)
Chinchilla is the watermelon capital of Australia. This small town, a couple of hours north-west of Brisbane, and its surrounds produce about 25 per cent of the nation's watermelons.
Method
Dice and de-seed 1kg of watermelon flesh.
Bring 150g of sugar and 150ml of water to the boil in a pot. Remove and pour into a bowl to cool.
Place the watermelon pieces in a food processor and pulse until fully liquid. Add the sugar water to the watermelon juice, with the strained juice of two lemons. Mix well and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Remove and break up the ice crystals with a fork until mushy. Repeat for 2-3 hours until the granita has formed small pieces of flavoured ice.
Serve by itself or with half a nip of gin for a more grown-up granita.
Serves 6-8.
