Editor's note: This recipe is adapted from Gabrielle Carbone, coproprietor of The Bent Spoon ice cream parlor in Princeton, New Jersey.
My husband Matt and I created this recipe long before we opened The Bent Spoon. We have such special memories of picking baskets full of strawberries and making them into this bright reddish-pink sorbet, which captures their fresh-picked essence. We now use it in the top layer in our red, white, and blue cake.
Because it's such a simple recipe, it's important to get fresh, organic berries picked at the height of their flavor. At the shop, we don't strain them — we like to keep the fruit as close to its natural state as possible. But if you dislike bits of seeds in your sorbet, feel free to strain the base before chilling it.
The quality of the water is important as well — if your water has a bad aftertaste, so will your sorbet — so we recommend using bottled.
The optional egg white helps to stabilize, emulsify, and preserve the texture of the sorbet if you are going to keep it in your freezer for a few days.
Ingredients
Makes 1 quart
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons water, preferably spring water
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 pints (about 1 1/2 pounds or 6 cups) fresh-picked strawberries, preferably organic, rinsed, patted dry, and hulled
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 large egg white, preferably farm-fresh (optional)
Preparation
Step 1
Make the simple syrup: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, water, and salt. Cook, stirring, until the sugar and salt have dissolved, about 3 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.
Step 2
In a blender, purée the strawberries with the syrup and lemon juice until very smooth (you may need to divide this into several batches if your blender is not extra-large). If desired, strain through a fine-mesh sieve for a smoother texture. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Step 3
Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Add the egg white, if using, during the last 2 to 3 minutes of churning. If making the ice cream cake , immediately pack into the pan. Or store, tightly covered, in the freezer.
Variation: Strawberry-passion fruit sorbet:
Step 4
Cut 7 passion fruits in half and scoop the pulp and seeds into a blender. Blend for 20 seconds, then pass through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl, pushing on the solids with back of a wooden spoon. Measure out 6 tablespoons of this purée and combine with the strawberries, syrup, and lemon juice in a blender as directed above.
