Watermelon Granita |
serves 6 |
|
4 cups |
watermelon, cut into chunks |
2 |
limes, zested and juiced (reserve zest for garnish) |
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon |
agave nectar |
|
Parfait Components |
2-3 cups |
plain yogurt, vanilla ice cream, or coconut milk ice cream for vegans |
2 cups |
watermelon, cut into bit size chunks |
1-2 cups |
blueberries and/or blackberries |
|
Put 4 cups of the watermelon chunks, the lime juice, and agave nectar into a blender. Reserve the remaining watermelon chunks and lime zest for serving. Blend until liquefied. Taste for balance of sweetness and acid. The mixture should not be overly sweet with a hint of lime. |
Pour the mixture into a shallow glass rectangular dish. Cover and freeze. |
After about an 2 hours, check on the freezing of the mixture. If it has begun to set, use a fork to move it around. Check again after another 30-60 minutes. The larger the dish and more shallow the mixture is in it, the faster it will set. |
Once the mixture is fully frozen, remove it from the freezer and allow to sit for about 3-5 minutes to soften before beginning to scrape. It might be necessary to stab it into the mixture to break it up, but it softens rather quickly. |
|
Assembly of parfaits. |
|
Use a clear juice, parfait, wine, or martini glasses or 1 pint mason jars to assemble and serve. |
Put about 1/4 cup of the watermelon chunks into the bottom of the glass. Add a small scoop (2-3 tablespoons) of either the ice cream or yogurt on top of the watermelon. Layer a scoop of the granita on top of the cream and repeat with a little more fruit, ice cream, and top with granita. Sprinkle the top with the a few berries or reserved lime zest. Serve immediately. |
If you are serving for a large party, I would recommend preparing them in advance and keeping them frozen until serving. In such a case, reserve the fresh fruit for serving perhaps only using berries over the top. |