Page 76 - Through the eyes of an African chef

THROUGH THE EYES OF AN AFRICAN CHEF
Sugarcane granita
INGREDIENTS
250ml sugarcane, peeled
2–3 sugarcane, cut into small pieces; use a blender to extract the juice*, adding a bit of ice then in a ricer
or ideally a presser. You can also purchase sugarcane juice.
Juice of 1 lemon
Optional garnish
Slivers of lime rind
*Some will say that you can’t blend bits of shredded sugarcane in a blender. Well, we grew up chewing the peel off, and if your blender cannot do the job, throw it out!
In the early 80s, my parents moved to the South Coast and set up a general dealer store at eMvutshini (Oatlands Farm), Ramsgate, KZN. Our store served the rural community and the sugarcane cutters who were predominantly from the AmaMpondo tribe. The shop was surrounded by sugarcane fields. During my visits over the school holidays, I joined the cutters’ children, who taught me how to harvest and eat sugarcane.
INSTRUCTIONS
Place a medium-sized bowl (big enough to hold all the granita), in the freezer.
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well, then put through a fine sieve to remove any granules you might have created while juicing.
Place into an ice-cream machine and churn for 20–30 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened.
If you don’t have an ice-cream machine, place the granita into the freezer in a container with a lid for 2–3 hours, or until it begins to set around the edges. Then use a fork to stir and break up the frozen crystals. Put the lid back on and continue to freeze for another hour.
Remove from the freezer and stir again; then freeze for another hour. Once it has thickened, transfer to the frozen bowl, cover and pop straight into the freezer and leave overnight.
TO SERVE
When ready to serve, remove the granita from the freezer and place in the fridge for about 10 minutes to soften ever so slightly. Remove and, using a fork, stir into the flaky ice crystals, then decant into dessert bowls or glasses. Garnish with lime rind, if available.
Serve immediately.
SERVES 2 PREPARATION TIME 20-30 MINS FREEZE 4–5 HRS; PLUS OVERNIGHT
74 DESSERTS [ chapter three ]