Peach and Apricot Granita with Whipped Cream

La storia di questo piatto

Sicily's summer, caught in a cup: ripe peaches and apricots turned to frost, crowned with a cloud of cold cream. It is a home-style cousin of the island's granita, an old habit of cooling down in the long heat, not a recipe with an ancient pedigree.

Ingredienti

• 500 g Ripe Sicilian peaches
• 300 g Ripe apricots
• 150 g Granulated sugar
• 400 ml Filtered water
• 1 lemon Fresh lemon juice
• 200 ml Fresh whole cream
• 15 g Powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Preparazione

1. Rinse the peaches and apricots under cold water and dry them with a clean tea towel. Cut them in half following the natural line of the fruit, twist the two halves in opposite directions to separate them and remove the pits, using a small knife if they stick to the flesh. Cut the flesh into pieces, leaving the skin on if the fruit is very ripe and of good quality.
2. Prepare the syrup: pour the water and sugar into a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until no more sugar crystals are visible at the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and let it cool completely at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.
3. Blend the fruit flesh with the now-cold syrup and the lemon juice until you obtain a smooth purée. The lemon brightens the flavor and preserves the color of the fruit. If the skin leaves any residue, pass the mixture through a wide-mesh sieve, pressing well with a spoon so the pulp passes through too. You should obtain about 1 liter of mixture.
4. Pour the well-chilled mixture into a shallow stainless steel pan and place it in the freezer. After about 40-45 minutes the edges begin to become semi-solid while the center is still liquid: this is the right moment. Work the mixture with a fork for 2 minutes using vigorous movements, scraping the crystals from the edges and mixing them into the center. This is a home method, simpler than the Sicilian granita machine but with excellent results.
5. Return the pan to the freezer and repeat the process every 30 minutes for 4-5 rounds in total, stirring with the fork for about 2 minutes each time. Timing varies depending on your freezer: if the mixture is still very liquid, wait a few extra minutes. With each round the crystals become finer and more uniform. The granita is ready when it has a creamy, slightly grainy texture.
6. About ten minutes before serving, place the glasses in the freezer. Pour the very cold cream (at least one hour in the refrigerator) into a chilled bowl, add the powdered sugar and the vanilla (optional: alternatively, the seeds of half a vanilla pod). Using an electric whisk on medium speed, whip until soft, rounded peaks form: the cream should fall from the spoon in regular waves.
7. If the granita is too hard, let it soften for a few minutes at room temperature and stir it with the fork just before serving. Spoon it into the chilled glasses and top with a generous spoonful of whipped cream. Serve immediately, optionally accompanied by a brioche col tuppo, as is customary in Sicily.