Watermelon Granita With A Twist

Here is one of the great recipes learned from Anh My (thanks Anh My !) - stay tuned there will be more- that is perfect for summer time. So, a vos baguettes ou plutot Ninja (my beloved blender from Truong - thanks Truong !)

So, what's the twist? the twist is a secret ingredient added at the last minute that gives the granita a very special sweet chewy texture here and there ... this secret has just been 'imported back from Provence' by my sister and now we are going to share it with you. Add a bit of jam to the frozen granita and you will get these tiny chewy pearls that will add colour and sweetness and surprise texture to your granita. For the watermelon granita, I added some strawberry jam (1/2 Tbsp), or melon granita Kim said they added some peach jam, basically find a jam that complements the colour and taste of your granita and voila`...

Take a close look at the photo above, and you will see a 'strawberry jam pearl' right on the middle top.

The little green speckles are actually chopped mint.

So here is what you need for this wonderful summer concoction.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups seedless watermelon chunks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Juice of 1 meyer lemon
• Optional:  1 tbsp chopped mint leaves, 1 tbsp Grand Marnier, 1/2 tbps strawberry jam

PREPARATION:

1. Combine all non-optional ingredients in your Ninja blender (if you don't have one --- hurry out and get one :-))
2. Puree until smooth.  Add Grand Marnier.
3. Strain into a shallow, wide pan, add chopped mint leaves and freeze for 1 hour.

4. Rake mixture with fork and freeze for another hour. Repeat once more then add the strawberry jam, mix it in then rake and serve.

Here is a photo of the granita before the addition of strawberry jam.