Makes about 1 quart You can use just about any kind of orange, tangerine, or mandarin orange juice in this recipe, or even use a mixture of several different kinds.

TECHNIQUE: Granita

CHILLING TIME: About 3 hours

SHELF LIFE: 1 week

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup 2:1 Simple Syrup, cooled
• 2¼ cups strained fresh tangerine juice (from about 14 tangerines)
• 2 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS

MAKE THE BASE

1. In a medium nonreactive bowl, combine 6 tablespoons of the simple syrup, the tangerine and lemon juices, and the salt.
2. Stir until well combined and the salt has dissolved.
3. Taste the base. It should taste just a bit too sweet (once the granita is frozen, it will lose some of its sweetness). Add the remaining simple syrup if you need it.

FREEZE THE GRANITA

1. Pour the base into an 8-or 9-inch square baking dish or similar shallow pan.
2. Freeze uncovered for 1 hour, or until ice crystals start to form.
3. Stir the mixture with a fork to break up the crystals.
4. Return the baking dish to the freezer and stir every 30 minutes or so to break up the ice crystals as the granita freezes.
5. When the granita is completely frozen (2½ to 3 hours total), it should have a light, feathery texture.
6. Serve right away or transfer to a container and store in the freezer.
7. Break up the mixture with a fork just before serving.

MAKE IT YOUR OWN

• You can use the juice of ruby grapefruits, pomelos, or Meyer lemons in place of tangerine juice. These tarter citrus fruits will require additional sugar, so taste a bit of the base and add more simple syrup if necessary before freezing.

SERVE IT WITH…

• A glass of champagne to make a mimosa float
• Vanilla Ice Cream or Whipped Cream—the bit of rich dairy is a nice counterpoint to the cool granita.