Extraits

Lemon-Mint Sorbet with Red Peppercorns This was the very first item I prepared on The Kitchens of Biró, and as with every recipe on the series, we shot the dish preparation three times to make certain we'd get every possible camera angle. When we wrapped on the recipe, the camera crew within minutes ate all three gallons I'd prepared, saying they couldn't believe that lemon, mint, and pepper work so well together. Though you could use it as a warm-weather dessert, I serve Lemon-Mint Sorbet with Red Peppercorns as an amuse-bouche. It has the qualities I'm looking for in a meal prelude: it's refreshing and light, it cleans the palate, and most importantly, it leaves my guests wanting more. Serves 4 1 cup cold water 1 cup sugar Juice of 4 lemons Zest of 3 lemons 1 ounce red peppercorns 1/2 ounce mint leaves, en chiffonade Mint leaves for garnish Peppercorns for garnish 1. If using an ice cream machine for this recipe, prepare the bowl inserts as per your machine manufacturer's instructions. If you do not have an ice cream machine, place a medium-sized stainless steel bowl in the freezer to chill. 2. Place the cold water in a small saucepan. Add the sugar. Bring to a boil, and then remove from heat. Allow to cool.3. Add the juice and zest to the cooled sugar syrup mixture. 4. Place the peppercorns in a food processor and pulse until cracked, about 10 seconds. Add the peppercorns and mint chiffonades to the sugar syrup mixture and stir. 5. Pour the mixture into your ice cream machine or chilled stainless bowl. If using an ice cream machine, process according to your machine's specifications. If using the stainless bowl method, remove from freezer every half hour and stir. This process can take up to 2 hours, depending on your freezer and the climate in which you live. Presentation I like to use a clear, chilled 2-ounce shot glass for this dish, as it looks modern and shows off the vibrant green and red colors. We pipe the sorbet into the glass with a pastry bag fitted with a round tip. Garnish with mint leaves and whole red peppercorns. Serve immediately. Wine Pairing NV Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Reims, France NV Gruet Blanc de Noir New Mexico Quick Tip: What is en chiffonade? The French term en chiffonade translates literally to "made of rags" and simply means to cut vegetables or herbs into thin strips. Excerpted from Biró: European-Inspired Cuisine by Marcel Biró, Shannon Kring Biró All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.