Tomato Sorbet

Sorbets are delicious and easy to make from any fresh fruit. I needed a palate cleansing sorbet when planning the “Offal Good Dinner” and I wanted something closer to our theme than your typical amuse-bouche.

Most “pieces and parts” fall into the savory category like our first two courses. With another savory main course, my guests and I needed a break. We accomplished that with a bold sorbet.

One of my favorite chefs is Jose Andres. He introduced me to tapas and tasting menus at his D.C. restaurants Minibar and Jaleo . While searching for inspiration I found his tomato sorbet. It tastes just like a mouthful of garden fresh tomato right off the vine – with a spicy kick.

This recipe required a couple of test batches before working out the kinks. Chef Andres’ original sorbet has almost no fat, no sugar and a lot of water content. Because of that the freezing point is pretty high. It can turn into a block of ice if left in the freezer too long. You can deal with this by adding more olive oil, but the more you add the further away you are from pure tomato flavor. The high water content also contributes to a faster melting rate, so you can’t let it set out to soften like you would ice cream.

In the end it’s a balancing act that you have to pay attention to.  This recipe works for the best fresh tomato flavor, but you must serve it shortly after freezing.