Photo courtesy of Emma Fishman
Lemon Granita and Cream
The first time I tasted lemon granita was at an Italian restaurant in Brooklyn called Lilia, where it comes in a tall, ice-cold glass, stacked between layers of vanilla soft serve. The second time was in Sicily, at the iconic Caffè Sicilia, where it’s served with brioche and cream—for breakfast. Caffè Sicilia may be a bit farther from home, but both are transcendent experiences worth traveling for. In the meantime, make this lemon granita and bring that transcendence to your own table.
1. Zest 4 of the lemons, or enough so you have ¼ cup of zest; reserve the zest in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to garnish. Halve and juice all the lemons, then strain the juice into a medium bowl (you should have about 1½ cups). Whisk in the sugar and salt until dissolved, then whisk in the water. Taste and add another pinch of salt if it seems very sweet.
2. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into two shallow glass, ceramic, or metal pans (they do not need to be the same size or type).
3. Chill in the freezer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and use a fork to scrape and break up the icy mixture. Freeze for another 1 to 3 hours, repeating the scraping process two more times as it freezes, until the mixture is completely icy (somewhere between a slushie and sorbet). Scrape the granita into airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Remove it from the freezer 15 to 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve to let it warm up to a scrapeable consistency.
4. When you’re ready to serve, beat the cream in a medium bowl with a whisk or hand mixer until the cream holds soft peaks. Scoop the granita into chilled glasses, top with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of the reserved lemon zest, and serve.
Excerpted with permission from Big Night: Dinners, Parties & Dinner Parties by Katherine Lewin © 2024. Published by Union Square and Co.
Originally featured in A Dreamy Italian Menu for Summer Dinner Parties
