I love the flavour of bergamot in Earl Grey tea but had never seen a bergamot orange until recently. It was amongst a selection of citrus fruits on a grower’s stall at a produce market. Looking like a cross between an orange and a lemon, with greeny/yellow skin, when scratched it exuded a wonderful aroma and the promise of something exotic.
The one fruit I bought then sat in my fridge while I waited for some inspiration as to its use. It seemed a shame to just squeeze it like a regular orange and so I decided to make it the main flavour in a dessert.
Here it is in sorbet form, paired with an orange and saffron ice cream, which makes for a light and fresh dessert that presents the citrus with the tang of yogurt - perfect after a rich meal.
Caren
Orange and Saffron Ice Cream with Bergamot Yoghurt Sorbet
Start this layered ice cream dessert a few days or up to a week before required.
The instructions suggest using an ice cream machine but it can easily be made without churning the ice cream and sorbet. The result won’t be as creamy but will be just as delicious.
Line a 21cm x 11cm x 7cm tin (or equivalent) with baking paper, allowing some paper to extend above the sides of the tin as this will help to remove the frozen dessert when required.
Bergamot Yoghurt Sorbet
225 gm sugar
180 ml water
30 gm liquid glucose
400 gm Greek yoghurt
40 ml strained bergamot juice (or any other citrus juice)
Make a syrup by stirring sugar, water and glucose together over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil for 1 minute. Strain and chill.
Whisk yoghurt, juice and chilled syrup together. Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions (or simply pour into the tin).
Spread the sorbet into the base of the container. Cover and freeze.
Orange and Saffron Ice Cream
200 ml cream
300 ml milk
120 gm caster sugar
2 oranges, zest of both and 125ml strained juice
Large pinch of saffron threads
4 egg yolks
Heat cream, milk, sugar, ½ the zest and saffron in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to infuse for 30 minutes.
Put the remaining orange zest in the juice and set aside.
Place the yolks in a bowl and whisk to combine. Return the cream mix to the stove over a medium heat. Take a cup of warm cream mix and whisk it into the yolks. Slowly whisk this mix back into the saucepan and continue to stir over a medium heat until the cream thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and cool.
Pour the orange juice and zest into the cream mix and stir to combine.
Strain, removing all the zest and saffron, and chill. Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions and spoon ice cream onto the layer of frozen yoghurt sorbet (or pour directly onto it). Smooth the surface if necessary.
Cover and return the container to the freezer for at lest 6 hours before serving.
For a bit of crunch, sprinkle with some praline and add a few herb flowers, like the rocket blossoms in the picture, for a pretty finish.