Sometimes I love taking an existing, easy recipe and elevating by adding ingredients that I love. This easy pineapple sorbet is based on one by John Torode and I came across it at the BBC Good Food site. I love anise flavours anyway but I found that they really go well with these two exotic fruit. What is wonderful about this dessert is that you can have the sorbet in your freezer, the crumb is very easy and quick to make and you can present this proud that it could be on the menu of many a smart restaurant.
Use 1 mango and 1 tbsp of ouzo if serving up to 4 persons. The crumb will last up to 1 week in an airtight container. I also I did not strain the liquid as I like the pineapple fibre in the sorbet but you can strain it if you prefer for a smoother texture.
Serves 8
For the pineapple sorbet
- 1 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
- 400g granulated sugar
- 400ml water
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 star anise, whole
- A piece of lemon peel
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, roasted and ground
For the macerated mango
- 2 ripe mangos, peeled and cut into small dice
- 2 tbsp of ouzo
- 1 tsp of icing sugar
For the coconut crumb
- 20g oats
- 15g desiccated coconut
- 1 tbsp Coconut oil
- 1 tsp brown sugar
Start by making the syrup for the sorbet.
Put the sugar, water, lemon peel and star anise in a saucepan and bring slowly to the boil. Boil for 1 minute, remove and leave to cool. Discard the star anise.
Put the pineapple chunks and ground fennel in a blender and blitz to a puree. Add the syrup, lemon juice and ground fennel and stir to mix well. Tip into your ice cream machine and churn till frozen. Transfer into a freeze proof container and leave in your freezer till needed.
If you don’t have an ice cream machine, tip the sorbet mix into a large tray and freeze until it starts to set. Using a fork, break the sorbet up and repeat once every hour till you reach the right consistency.
For the mango, mix the dice in a bowl with the ouzo and sugar 10 minutes before serving. Keep in the fridge till needed.
For the crumb, preheat the oven to 2000C. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with your fingers to create large crumbs. Transfer to an oven tin lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat and bake for 5-6 minutes or till golden brown. Leave to go cool.