Chocolate sorbet

It’s been since March that I’ve posted a recipe including chocolate, but don’t let that fool you. I’ve been eating chocolate this whole time, I was just being a little selfish and keeping the recipes to myself.

I hinted recently about a sorbet I’ve been making since early May, and this week, when I made it again, I took some photographs so that I could share it with you.

It’s full on chocolate without the distraction of eggs or cream or milk. It’s reminiscent of the chocolate mousse by Hervé This, yet it’s a David Lebovitz concoction (I so love his recipes).

It’s a sorbet made with water, sugar, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, a pinch of salt to bring out the chocolate flavor even more and a dash of vanilla extract for good measure.

It’s easy to make, foolproof one could say, and the result is a smooth, silky sorbet with a deep, pure taste of chocolate. Slightly bitter, enough to remind you that what you have used is indeed really good chocolate with a high content of cocoa solids, not too sweet, not too heavy.

Served with fresh berries—I used blackberries and raspberries this time—that balance out the richness of the chocolate with their slightly sharp kick, is perfect for someone who, much like me, is totally and utterly addicted to the dark temptress.

To those of you who are not satisfied with only one chocolate icy treat, allow me to remind you of this dark chocolate ice cream, this white chocolate ice cream with caramel-Kahlua sauce and this chocolate semifreddo.

Dark Chocolate Sorbet
Ever-so-slightly adapted from The Perfect Scoop

Use good quality chocolate and cocoa powder as it will make all the difference in the flavor and texture of the sorbet. Also, use a chocolate whose flavor you enjoy as that will be the prominent flavor.
I used chocolate with 72% cocoa solids but I suppose anywhere between 60%-70% would be fine.

Yield: about 1 liter

Ingredients
200 g caster sugar
80 g good quality Dutch-processed cocoa powder
Pinch of sea salt
560 ml water
175 g good quality dark chocolate, 60%-70% cocoa solids, cut into small pieces
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Special equipment: immersion blender (or regular blender), ice cream machine (optional yet preferable)


Preparation
In a large saucepan, add the sugar, cocoa, salt and 380 ml of the water and whisk over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil while whisking continuously and once it comes to the boil, allow it to boil for 45 seconds while still beating non-stop.

Take the pan off the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the vanilla extract and the rest of the water (180 ml) and whisk to incorporate.
Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture for 15-20 seconds. If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer the mixture to a regular blender, blend it and then return it to the bowl.

Place the bowl with the sorbet mixture in the refrigerator to chill, covered with plastic warp. Once it chills thoroughly, take it out of the fridge, whisk it well and add it to your ice cream machine. Churn the sorbet according to the manufacturer’s instructions, empty it into a container suitable for the freezer and place in the freezer for a couple of hours or until the sorbet is firm enough to serve.

Alternatively, if you don't have an ice cream machine, empty the sorbet mixture into a container suitable for the freezer. Place the mixture in the freezer, take it out after 40 minutes and whisk it very well. You can also use a blender, or even an immersion blender. Continue doing the same thing every half hour, until it's too thick and frozen to beat or whisk. The whole process will take 2 to 3 hours, depending on how strong your freezer is.

Take it out of the freezer about 15 minutes before serving to soften.

You can keep the sorbet in your freezer for a week.