Savory Sorbets

[Dante]

Planning to do a leg of lamb seasoned with curry as the main course for a delayed 12th Night dinner. Would like suggestions for making an herbal sorbet to accompany it.

Help?

Sincerely,

Dante

[rooftop1000]

Tomato and thyme?

tracey

[petite tête de chou]

Yogurt and mint?

[Magictofu]

You will probably need to add sugar in order to get the right texture. There might be other culinary tricks that could work (e.g. tomato pulp, the protein and fat in yogurt, etc.).

[Syrah]

Something with sage perhaps? Could you use butternut squash?

[Chris Amirault]

Depending on your curry flavorings, you could do mint, cilantro, or both sorbets, perhaps with some cumin and lime.

[rlibkind]

Rather than a sorbet to accompany the lamb, how about a sorbet as palate-cleanser. That's a traditional use, and one that I think highly appropriate when serving such an intensely flavored main course as lamb leg seasoned with curry.

No reason why you can't use a gentle herb here. But one of the nicest palate-cleansing sorbets I've ever had was celery-flavored. Which, I guess, counts as an herb if you start out with the leaves. (Or a spice if you start with the seeds.)

Think of it as a Dr. Brown's Slushee.

[Dante]

Rather than a sorbet to accompany the lamb, how about a sorbet as palate-cleanser. That's a traditional use, and one that I think highly appropriate when serving such an intensely flavored main course as lamb leg seasoned with curry.

No reason why you can't use a gentle herb here. But one of the nicest palate-cleansing sorbets I've ever had was celery-flavored. Which, I guess, counts as an herb if you start out with the leaves. (Or a spice if you start with the seeds.)

Think of it as a Dr. Brown's Slushee.

←

I'd miss-stated a bit (somewhat tired of late- new puppy + pregnant housemate with double pneumonia).

I do intend it as a cleanser, just wanted a flavour that would complement what else I'm serving.

So, celery's good. I'd done a celery/apple sorbet not too long ago. I don't want to repeat myself but I could do something similar- maybe use the celery as a base and accompany it with another herb?

I'm intentionally avoiding mint- never been a fan of mint with lamb, and it's just way too stereotypical anyway.

and, yeah, sugar would be required for texture. I'd like to avoid standard white sugar and go with something more healthy, tho. Not sure what else would work without intruding too much on the flavour.

Hmmm...lime might be interesting (in a small amount). Or maybe cilantro.

Thyme? Perhaps.

Sincerely,

Dante

[rlibkind]

...and, yeah, sugar would be required for texture.  I'd like to avoid standard white sugar and go with something more healthy, tho.  Not sure what else would work without intruding too much on the flavour.

Hmmm...lime might be interesting (in a small amount).  Or maybe cilantro.

Thyme?  Perhaps. 

                                Sincerely,

                                          Dante

←

Maybe just an incredibly light touch of good old black pepper?

I'd be careful with replacements for the white sugar. I've never heard of a sorbet done with honey, for example, perhaps because of its extreme hydroscopic nature. But I'll leave that for the more scientifically inclined among us to comment upon. I have seen sorbet recipes that call for invert syrup (trimoline) because it is less likely to cause crystallization. But, let's face it, sucrose is sucrose, even when it's broken down to fructose and glucose, as it is in invert.

[Dante]

Maybe just an incredibly light touch of good old black pepper?

that could work, indeed.

I usually use a blend of black, white, red, green and szechuan with a bit of allspice blended in.

(yes, that's my table pepper- I'm a geek, can't help it)

I'd be careful with replacements for the white sugar. I've never heard of a sorbet done with honey, for example, perhaps because of its extreme hydroscopic nature. But I'll leave that for the more scientifically inclined among us to comment upon. I have seen sorbet recipes that call for invert syrup (trimoline) because it is less likely to cause crystallization. But, let's face it, sucrose is sucrose, even when it's broken down to fructose and glucose, as it is in invert.

←

yeah-wouldn't use honey- wouldn't work for texture.

anyone out there ever try using, say, turbinado or something similar? Some demerara derivative?

Sincerely,

Dante

[emilyr]

What about a combo with a citrus and an herb. Like lime and basil or grapefruit and thyme. I think they'd be very bright tasting after the meaty main dish and balance the spicy curry. Celery and yuzu?

[tim]

Hi,

I have served a zinfandel/rosemary sorbet with lamb.

Tim

[Dante]

Hi,

I have served a zinfandel/rosemary sorbet with lamb.

Tim

←

OK- I did this and it turned out wonderfully! Thanx for the tip. i'll have to jot this one down in my notebook!

Sincerely,

Dante

[Katie Meadow]

What about a combo with a citrus and an herb. Like lime and basil or grapefruit and thyme. I think they'd be very bright tasting after the meaty main dish and balance the spicy curry. Celery and yuzu?

←

I've had lemon sorbet with basil--that's yummy. How about lime with thai basil? Grapefruit with tarragon is a tried and true combo for sorbet/palate cleanser.

I would stick with white cane sugar--it's nice and pure. Expensive sugars like demerara might be wasted in a frozen dessert....?

[Teppy]

For savory ice creams, I use maltodextrin, which is available at brewing supply stores. It's barely sweet eaten straight, and not sweet at all if you use some salt in your mixture. The final texture will be 100% identical to ice cream. I haven't tried a sorbet yet with it, but I see no reason for that not to work.