Rockmelon and Ginger Granita - Chef Recipe by Matt Moran

Ingredients

165 g (3/4 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
1 medium rockmelon (cantaloupe), peeled, seeds scooped out, flesh coarsely chopped
375 ml (1 1/2 cups) good-quality ginger beer
50 g fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely grated
Juice of 2 limes, or to taste

Method

Stir the sugar and 80 ml water in a small saucepan over a medium–high heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Blend the rockmelon and half the ginger beer in a blender for a minute or two to a fine purée, then strain through a sieve. Stir in the remaining ginger beer and add the sugar syrup to taste. Squeeze the juice of the grated ginger into the rockmelon mixture through a fine sieve, discarding the solids, then stir in the lime juice, to taste.

Pour into a metal tray or cake tin and freeze overnight, scraping with a fork every so often to form ice crystals. Cover and freeze until required and scrape again with a fork before serving so the ice crystals are nice and fluffy. The granita will freeze well for a couple of weeks. Serve in chilled glasses or bowls.

Credits: Matt Moran's Australian Food by Matt Moran (Murdoch Books, RRP $45.00)

Photo Credits: Will Meppem.