Orange Ice (Granita)

July 19, 2011 | Filed Under Books, Orange Ice (Granita) | 21 Comments 

I recently finished reading The Empress of Ice Cream by Anthony Capella, a historical fiction about Carlo Demirco, a handsome Italian ice maker who falls in love with Louise de Keroualle, a beautiful but poor lady-in-waiting.  The King of France, Louis XIV, sends the two as a gift to the King of England, Charles II.   Carlo is to serve as the personal ice cream maker to King Charles.  This is a time when ice cream was first introduced in England.  It is a treat, only for the wealthy and privileged.  Louise, is to serve as mistress to King Charles and help influence his political decisions between England and France.    An intriguing story unfolds, told from the point of view of Louise and Carlo.  It is fascinating to see how Louise and Carlo handle their situation and how ice cream plays a big part in their story.

Here’s a description of the first time Carlo, as a young child, has the opportunity to taste one of the ices that he helps to make:

I had been working for the Persian almost two years before I dared to ask what the ices we made tasted like.

‘Taste?  What does the taste matter to you, child?’  Ahmad said scornfully.

I knew that I had to be careful how I answered if I was to avoid yet another beating.  ‘Sir, I have seen how the cooks try their dishes as they make them.  I think I will understand better how to make these ices if I know how they are meant to taste.’

We were making an ice flavoured with a syrup of the small sweet oranges that some call china oranges, and some mandarins.  The syrup was thickened further with orange pulp, and scented with the aromatic oils extracted from the rind, before being poured over a pile of grated ice.  ‘Very well,’ Ahmad said, gesturing at the pot with a shrug.  ‘Try some, if that is what you wish.’  Before he could change his mind I took a spoon, scooped out a little of the confection, and put it to my lips.

Ice crystals cracked and crunched against my teeth.  I felt them dissolving on my tongue – a cold, sparkling sensation as they shriveled away to nothing – then the syrup ran down my throat, cold and thick and sugary.  The taste swelled in my mouth like the sudden ripening of the orange fruit itself.  I gasped with pleasure:  then, a moment later, a terrible pain shot up inside my head as the cold gripped my throat, choking me, and I spluttered.”

Ahmad’s lip curled with amusement.  ‘Now, perhaps, you understand that it is not a dish for children.  Or for the general populace, there being no nourishment in it.  We are here to entertain, boy, not to feed.  We are like singers, or actors, or painters, makers of fine meaningless baubles for the wealthy and the great:  that is to say, kings, courtiers, cardinals and their courtesans.  No one but them will ever be able to waste so much expense on something that melts to nothing on their lips even faster than a song melts on the evening air.’

But, once I had got over the initial strangeness, I found that the taste was one I could not forget.  It had not simply been that extraordinary flavor of sweet, concentrated oranges; it was the ice itself, it’s cold frozen grittiness, calling to me.  From then on, without Ahmad knowing, I made sure I tasted every confection we made.   And I never again spluttered when I felt the coldness grip my throat.  (page 6-7)

Carlo makes a lot of different ice creams, always striving to make the perfect ice for the King and the woman with whom he’s fallen in love.   The descriptions and process are fascinating to read and by the end of the book, I found myself wanting to make some ice cream.   By the way, I am actually looking for my own personal ice cream maker.  No, not an ice cream-making machine but an ice cream MAKER –  as in one of the human kind, just like Carlo (see here). 

In the meantime, I decided to start with a simple ice recipe, an Orange Ice (Granita).  The recipe is based on a recipe from Once Upon a Plate, who made her granita using Clementine oranges (hence the title below, Clementine Ice).   The oranges I bought from the supermarket had no special brand (They weren’t selling Clementines).   They were ordinary oranges on sale – two for one dollar!   Now, THAT’S my kind of orange since they normally cost more than that. 

With my two-for-a-dollar oranges, I set out to make my very first granita.  The process was very easy and the ingredients – mainly oranges and lemon, very simple.  When my ice was ready and I tasted it, I was pleasantly surprised.  I loved the refreshing, cold, sweet, orange taste on my tongue.  It tasted heavenly, perfect for a hot summer day.   Perfect for anyone who’d care to have a taste.

Paz

Clementine Ice (Granita)

from Once Upon a Plate

Makes about 3 cups

With a micro-plane grater remove the zest (colored part only) from one medium size Clementine. Place the zest in a small pan with 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup sugar (or scant 1/2 cup Agave syrup).  Or sweetener of your choice, adjusting amount according to how sweet you prefer.

Heat mixture until hot but not boiling, stirring once or twice.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  When cool stir in  1 and 1/2 cups Clementine juice,  plus 1 to 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Pour mixture into a flat, shallow container, cover with cling film and place in freezer.  Allow to freeze until mixture begins to freeze around the edges.  With tines of a fork scrape and mix, bringing the frozen parts to the center of the container. Return to the freezer and repeat this process a couple of times after mixture begins to freeze again.

When the juice has frozen throughout it may be served immediately, or scraped the fork once more, covered tightly and served within a day or two for best flavor and quality.