Frozen Oranges. Sheer elegance.

This is a dessert, not a pudding.  It deserves a large audience and a tablecloth.  But that is not to say it needs months in the preparation, rather give it a little attention over three days.

I've used a mint and three citrus sorbet to fill the frozen orange shells, and a mint leaf to mock up a stalk.  But you could opt for a simple orange and mint sorbet if you prefer by using extra orange juice in place of the grapefruit and lemon juice.

The key is to get a frosting on the outside of your oranges, it will form after 24 hours of being in the freezer but will disappear on contact with your fingers.  So get out some metal implements when it's serving time and make sure you save your third glass of wine for after plating up...

Ingredients - serves 6

6 thick skinned oranges, look for ones with flat bottoms that will sit upright on their own
3 red grapefruit
4 lemons
100 g sweet honey, or more if you prefer a sweeter sorbet
A large bunch of mint, plus extra for garnishing

Method

Day 1

1. Prepare your ice cream machine so it's ready to start churning in 24 hours.
2. Slice the top off your oranges.  Use a sharp pointed knife to run around the inside of each orange taking out an upside down cone shaped chunk of flesh out (keep all the contents of the oranges)...

Then use a pair of kitchen scissors to chop up the flesh and use a teaspoon to scrape it out...

The aim is for a hollow but in tact orange shell...

Do the same with the lids...

3. Place the oranges in the freezer for at least 24 hours.
4. Place a sieve over a bowl and push the orange mush through the extract the juice.  Do the same with the lemons and grapefruit keeping all the juices separate.

5. Weigh each fruit juice and combine 150 g of each in a clean bowl.
6. Add the mint and honey to the juice and allow the flavours to infuse at room temperature for at least 3 hours.

7.  Place the juice and honey mixture in the fridge.

Day 2

7. Remove the mint leaves from the juice and churn in the ice cream machine.
8. When the sorbet is nearly frozen hard spoon it into the prepared, frozen orange shells, making the top into a dome shape. Replace the lids on top of the shells and place back in the freezer.

Day 3 (or dinner party day whenever it may be)

9. Cut some 'stalk-like' looking leaves of mint from a bush and use your fingers to squish one end of the 'stalk' so it is thin and flat.
10. Carefully, using a dry metal spoon, remove the oranges from the freezer.  Using the point of a sharp knife cut a small 'cross' on the top of the orange lid next to the original stalk.  Insert the flattened mint 'stalk' in the intersection of the cross and serve.

How beautiful and easy is that?