Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Orange Sorbet

This dessert started with eggplant. That is, if it weren’t for the eggplant, I never would have made orange sorbet. I had a couple of varieties of eggplant to use, and I started craving a Thai eggplant curry. I knew I had seen an eggplant curry in The Kitchen Diaries which I read several months ago but don’t think I’ve mentioned here before. In that book, which is a year-long food diary about enjoying the right food in the right place at the right time, Nigel Slater mentions a meal involving a curry of eggplant, tomatoes, and lemongrass. He explains that he likes to follow a "stinging-hot principal dish" with a "sharp citrus dessert." The thought of a spicy dish with complex flavors followed by an icy, fruity, sorbet appealed to me very much. The curry in the book is made with a homemade paste involving shrimp paste which would have sent me on a day-long ingredient hunt, so I started asking around about eggplant curry recipes. Leela from She Simmers shared with me an informative post of hers about purchased curry pastes vs ones made from scratch, and her post also includes a link to an easy green curry recipe from Kasma Loha-unchit. That’s the version that I made only with mushrooms instead of pork. Then, it was back to the book for the dessert. So, yes, eggplant brought me along a winding path that led to orange sorbet.

Making the sorbet couldn’t have been easier. A simple syrup was made, and orange zest was added. Since the juice of a lemon was going to be added later, I zested some of said lemon and added it to the simple syrup as well. Once the syrup was cool, fresh orange juice and the juice of the lemon were added. I left that mixture in the refrigerator to chill thoroughly for a few hours before churning it in an ice cream maker. For garnish, I topped servings with a little lime zest.

The eggplant curry with coconut milk, Thai chiles, Thai basil, and green curry paste was spicy and lovely and the eggplant chunks took on all the flavors nicely. And, as suggested, following that with a cooling, citrusy, orange sorbet was refreshing and delicious. With no prompting, questioning, or fishing for a response, Kurt said he liked it. Even though he rarely dislikes a dessert, he doesn’t come right out and say he likes one very often, and then we both wanted seconds of this, so I know for sure it was really good.



31 comments:

  1. Interesting how eggplant lead you to making orange sorbet lol

    Cool post and sorbet making looks easy, will try it out =)

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  2. Curry and sorbet! Awesome idea... I have a green curry recipe sitting right here that I need to make! Now I need to make orange sorbet to go with it! Also, beautiful pics!

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  3. Now I want to try this combination of hot and cold! It was particularly hot and sticky today; I would love to this sorbet to end the day.

    My mother-in-law shared an orange sorbet recipe that steeps fresh basil in the mixture while it cools - so delicious!

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  4. I just love it when eggplant turns into ice cream! Great story -- and such an elegant first photo! Looks mighty tasty (she says from the hot, humid, 112 degree middle of the country.)

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  5. This is a perfect summer treat right here!!! I love it when one thing leads to another.

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  6. Why can't all desserts start with veggies? We'd all be better off. It's a great way to cool off after a bit of spice.

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  7. So refreshing and delicious! I love the color of that sorbet.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  8. 'This dessert started with eggplant.'
    sounds like the first line of the next great american cookbook. :)
    seriously, this is outstanding and inspired. oh, and refreshing. well done. :)

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  9. This is citrus heaven....I am so happy you veered away from the eggplant!

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  10. How beautiful and refreshing. I love how it started with an eggplant :)
    *kisses* HH

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  11. This sorbet sounds like the perfect end to about any meal. Orange is just so refreshing. Love the recipe and of course the inspiration. Saw the fast and furious tweets between you and Leela and was curious as to the results.

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  12. I was dreading seeing eggplant incorporated in that. Thank heavens it wasn't!! That looks delicious :)

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  13. Haha. A curious case of how eggplant leads to orange sorbet.

    With a dessert like this after the main course, I would feel pretty insecure if I were the curry ... :)

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  14. How serendipitous! I'm testing an Indian eggplant recipe as I type, so I just may have to make the sorbet to follow it. Since I started blogging, I often eat dinner for breakfast. :)

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  15. You don't have to convince me this was delicious. I want to lick my screen.

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  16. I did not know you could make sorbet out of eggplant. Interesting idea!

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  17. Curry followed this sorbet sounds like such a fabulous meal! The sorbet sounds super refreshing - yum!

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  18. They look very delicious and perfect to work as a palette cleanser!

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  19. How beautifully refreshing Lisa! And I must admit your first line did intrigue me! :P

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  20. Eggplant is such a bearer of good things. Not only is it delicious, but it can deliver orange sorbet as well! Who knew.

    This looks fantastic and I love the idea of using it to refresh yourself after a spicy curry!

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  21. well if eggplant got you to make this lovely sorbet, eat more eggplant!!! congrats on the top 9!

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  22. Fabulous! Congrats on the top 9!

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  23. Dessert started with an eggplant? Really? What a fabulous sorbet!!!

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  24. How cooling and refreshing after the eggplant curry! I could eat this anytime! Scrumptious.

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  25. this is perfection. I still haven't made any sorbet's with my ice-cream maker, but I have the feeling that I'll christen it with this one :).

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  26. yum! sorbet is still something I haven't try making at home....well...one of these days :)

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  27. I'm currently melting in the Singapore heat, wish I can have a taste of your refreshing looking sorbet right now.

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  28. Gorgeous! I bet this is delicious.

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