Pomelo-Traminette Granita

I don't have a photo for this because I got too excited and ate it all before photographing. Does this count? I think it does because it was delicious, and granitas are good to know how to make. Anyway, this recipe is good for the leftover wine that you just can't bear to throw out.

I used Traminette wine for this, which is close to a Gewurztraminer. It was made in the Finger Lakes region, and brought to me courtesy of CF. The taste is very much like drinking lychee fruit (something my grandparents loved to spoil me with as a kid), which makes it a prime target for mixing with pomelo (kind of like a giant, mild grapefruit, which Cantonese people are also fond of).

I liked this. So did my guests, SC and LT (SC often taste-tests my creations). I fantasize now about mixing the remaining 1/4 cup of wine with a mash of Ya Li pears I have in my fridge from my most recent trip to Boston. These are asian pears that originally grew in Western China & were banned by US customs for many years --- but the bans been lifted & they can be found in Korean/Chinese superstores across the US now. They look like mini Barletts except they are much crunchier & juicier than the fat Asian pears that are easier to find. Here is a picture:

This recipe was modified from a Gewurztraminer sorbet version found in one of my mother's "Art of French Cooking" old school books, from the '80's. I got super excited when I saw the varietal, because it was the closest relative to the Traminette dregs I had back in Buffalo - and upon returning from my Thanksgiving break, this was the first thing I attempted to make to absolve the guilt I felt over leaving a 1/2 cup of wine corked on my kitchen counter.

Ingredients:
1/2 pomelo
1/3 c Traminette wine
3 T sugar
1 T honey

Directions:

Peel off the bitter skins of the pomelo, and isolate about 1.5 to 2 cups of pomelo fruit. Mash it all up with the wine, sugar, and honey, and taste test to make sure you like the flavor. Pour into an aluminum 8" pie tin (or a metal tray, in which case you can make more). Slide tray into the freezer.

Wait for an hour, then take the tray out. It should be sort of liquidy but not really frozen. Throw it into a food processor, pulsing on low ("blunt" on my machine). Don't let it melt too much, so do it in small chunks if you have to (if your kitchen is all souped up, you can also use an ice cream maker. I just like to do things on the cheap). Throw it back in and check it every half hour, making sure to mash it with a fork or whatever you have to make sure the ice crystals don't get too chunky. The wine will want to fall to the sides of the pan, so just make sure you fold it back to the middle each time you give it a stir.

Once solidly frozen, let it sit for 5 min or so at room temperature to thaw/soften before scooping into bowls.

Serves 3.