Recipe: Strawberry Peppercorn Sorbet

“Fire & Ice” Sorbet Is Hot & Cold

This elegant, gourmet sorbet recipe can be made with black peppercorns—which leave black specks in the sorbet—or with white peppercorns, which are invisible to the eye. Don’t use old, flat-tasting peppercorns: Grind what you have and taste them to see if you need to purchase new ones. You’ll want the “fire” effect as well as the “ice.”

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 to 2 tablespoons peppercorns, coarsely ground
  with a mortar and pestle*
• 6 cups (2 pounds) fresh strawberries, cleaned,
  dried and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Whole strawberries and/or mint leaves for garnish
• VARIATION: Add 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, substitute pink
  or green peppercorns (milder than black peppercorns)

*A mortar and pestle will leave larger crushed pieces that look more artistic and leave more “hot spots.” If you don’t have one, you can use a mallet and crush peppercorns in a plastic bag. In a peppermill, the grind will be much finer and black pepper will look like flecks of vanilla.

Preparation

1. Make a sugar syrup by heating sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Stir in ground pepper.

2. In a food processor, blend strawberries, sugar syrup and lemon juice until smooth (about 2 minutes). Pour into a covered container and chill for several hours or overnight.

3. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and allow to firm for two hours or longer.