Watermelon Sorbet

It's Spring at the moment and the days are now getting warmer, so beat the heat with this refreshing sorbet. It's also low in fat!

The sugar syrup in this recipe can be adjusted depending on how sweet your watermelon is. The more naturally sweet the fruit, the less sugar syrup will be required for the recipe.

If you have an ice cream maker, you can just set and forget... but for those of us that don't have the luxury of owning one, there are a few steps involved in making this sorbet. But, it'll all be worth it in the end :)

You can omit the egg whites if you want, especially if you can't resist eating your sorbet once you take it out of the freezer :) Adding the egg whites gives your sorbet a nice light texture. If you don't add the egg whites, the sorbet will just taste 'icier'.

Serves 4

Ingredients

500ml (2 cups) water
1 cup caster sugar
1.2kg seedless watermelon, rind removed, coarsely chopped
2 egg whites, lightly whisked

Method

1. Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan and stir over low heat for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Boil for 5-10 minutes or until mixture thickens. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool.
2. Meanwhile, place watermelon in the jug of a blender and blend until pureed. Strain puree through a fine sieve into a jug, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible (you should have about 600ml of watermelon juice).
3. Add cooled sugar syrup to watermelon juice and stir until well combined. Pour into an airtight container or a 3cm-deep, 20cm x 30cm (base) lamington pan. Cover and place in the freezer for 4 -5 hours or until almost set.
4. Roughly break up the sorbet with a metal spoon and transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Process briefly until sorbet is smooth and has a soft, icy texture.
5. Return sorbet to container/lamington pan and place in the freezer for a further 4 hours or until firm. Remove from the freezer and repeat step 4. Return sorbet to the container/lamington pan and place in the freezer for a further 5 hours or until firm.
6. Place the sorbet and egg whites in the bowl of a food processor and process until sorbet is pale and smooth. Return to the container/lamington pan and place in the freezer for a further 4 hours or until almost firm. Scoop into serving glasses or bowls or cones and serve immediately.