Buffalo Rising Online

Jul 3rd 2007, 8:19am By Laura Anhalt

One of the reasons why July is one of my favorite months is because its sunny days and breezy evenings inspire me to create great food for the grill and simple, tasty desserts. Guercio's is one of the best places to pick up produce in the city, and that's where you'll want to head for today's main ingredient—the watermelon.

For the past 3 years, I’ve been hosting 4th of July celebrations in my backyard. I go crazy preparing salads, marinating meats and vegetables for the grill, baking beer bread, and of course, making my favorite 4th of July dessert: Watermelon-Tequila Granita. It somehow always ends up being one of the evening's icy-hot topics of conversation.

Granita is a refreshing and flavorful dessert that closely resembles sorbet or Italian ice. The difference between granita and these other flavored-ice desserts is texture. Granita is made of coarse, crunchy ice crystals, unlike sorbet, for example, which is comprised of small crystals resulting in a smoother texture. Granita can be prepared to depict an impressive array of flavors with the most common being, lemon, lime, orange, coffee, chocolate, almond, mint and wild berries.

I like to play around with different flavors & combinations and, as expected, some turn out tastier than others. My personal favorite (by far) is watermelon, and the addition of tequila kicks it up yet another notch. This particular recipe calls for tequila but you can do without it just the same, especially if you want the kids to join you for dessert.

I love the fact that no ice cream maker is needed to prepare granita, an uncomplicated dessert. It can be frozen in practically any stainless steel or glass container you might have in your kitchen. After trying various types of containers, I have come to opt for a shallow, square or rectangular glass Pyrex dish. I have found that the stirring and scraping required throughout the freezing process a well as serving just proves to be easier with this pan. But, if you don’t have a Pyrex dish, by all means use whatever you have handy.

This is a great time of year to shop around for watermelons at our local markets so making this dessert should be a breeze. Preferably, the watermelon’s pulp color should be bright red-- this will result in a tastier dessert. You will also need to use limes and sugar, and if you intend on using tequila, have it handy too.

Before we move on, I’d love to share some granita-making tips that will prove useful to you along the way. Granita is not supposed to be a very sweet treat, but instead light and refreshing. Therefore, I suggest you use only the indicated amount of sugar. Additionally, the sugar plays an important role in the crystallization process of the dessert and if too much of it is added, the right consistency will not be achieved. Unfortunately, because of this, artificial sweeteners are not an option.

As previously mentioned, the granita-mix needs to be stirred and scraped a couple of times during the freezing period. This is to help break up the forming ice crystals and redistribute the flavors and ingredients that get separated as the mix freezes. You will notice, especially when you are preparing watermelon granita, that the pulp tends to settle at the top. That is exactly what needs to happen, just cover the container with clear wrap and place it in the freezer. I usually stir and scrape the mix 45 minutes after I’ve placed it in the freezer, then a second time about 3 hours later, and then for a last time, just before serving.

Don’t forget to stir and scrape during the freezing period or you may end up with a big watermelon ice cube! In case you do forget, don’t despair. Take a big, pointy fork and scrape it the best you can. Then mix it around really well and you're ready to serve.

I hope that after prepping this dessert (and loving it!) you’ll turn into a granita fan and that you, like me, find yourself thinking about mixing and matching flavors to prepare your very own creations to share with your family and friends.

Watermelon-Tequila Granita

5 cups finely diced watermelon ･ 1/2 cup lime juice ･ 1/2 cup of white sugar ･ 2 oz tequila (optional)

Place watermelon cubes in blender and mix well. While blending, add the lime juice, the tequila (if you are using it) and the sugar. Allow to blend for an additional 45 seconds.

Pour into glass or stainless steel container of your choice (remember I prefer a shallow glass Pyrex dish). Cover it with clear wrap and place it in the freezer.

The granita needs at least 8 hours of “freezer time”. Give it a stir after approximately 45 minutes, re-wrap and freeze again. Scrape after 3 hours and freeze again.

To serve. simply scoop the granita into a martini or wine glass and decorate with a mint leaf or watermelon wedge. Be creative and enjoy!

Re-freeze any unused granita immediately after you are done serving.

Chef’s cool tip: If want to make another flavor of granita, such as coffee, chocolate, lemon or lime, first make it into a beverage--make sure it is good and not too sweet! Then if you want, add the liquor of your choice and follow the same freezing process detailed above.

Guercio's Imports
250 Grant St, 14213
716.882.7935, call for hours

Photo by Scott Gable