Recipes

Cantaloupe Sherbet

By: The Local Palate

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“For this, we took cantaloupe juice and turned it into a classic sherbet,” says Chef Brian Baxter. In this recipe, the melon is cooked in St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, pickled elderflower, and sake, and then dehydrated it to make a concentrated, chewy bite of cantaloupe. “The chilled, reduced syrup is poured over the chewy cantaloupe, and the sherbet is topped with pickled elderflower.”

recipe

yields

Makes 2 servings

For the Cantaloupe Sherbet

1 cup heavy cream
1½ cups corn syrup
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups cantaloupe juice

For the Pickled Elderflower

1 pint fresh elderflowers
1¼ cup cider vinegar
2/3 cup St Germain Elderflower Liqueur
½ cup sugar

For the Candied Cantaloupe

6 2/3 cups cantaloupe, deseeded and cut into 1″ x 3” x ⅛” thick slices
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup water
2/3 cups sake, alcohol burned off

For the Cantaloupe Syrup

3 1/3 cup reserved candied cantaloupe liquid
1 teaspoon citric acid
Sea Salt, for finishing

steps

Make the Cantaloupe Sherbet

Bring the cream, corn syrup, sugar, and salt to a simmer.
Once dissolved, remove from the heat, and stir in the melon juice.
Pour into Paco canisters and freeze.
Spin 3 minutes before using.

Make the Pickled Elderflower

Bring the cider vinegar, sugar, and St-Germain to a boil for one minute.
Pour over the flowers and allow to cool at room temperature.
Store in the refrigerator for at least 5 days before using.

Make the Candied Cantaloupe

Mix all the ingredients together and cook over a double boiler until the cantaloupe is tender but still holds its shape.
Remove the cantaloupe ribbons, gently draining off as much of the liquid as possible.
Dry at 120°F until chewy but not dry. Reserve the liquid for the cantaloupe syrup.

Make the Cantaloupe Syrup

Mix until the citric acid is dissolved. Reserve chilled.

Finish the Sherbet

Place a spoonful of the chilled cantaloupe syrup in the bottom of a bowl.
Cut a cantaloupe ribbon into 3equal pieces and add to the syrup.
Place a quenelle of the cantaloupe sherbet in the bowl, and finish with a few pickled elderflowers and a pinch of Maldon.

Date Published: 04.16.24