Food & Wine USA - (08)August 2020

AUGUST 2020 103

Mexican Chocolate Sorbet

ACTIVE 35 MIN; TOTAL 1 HR 45 MIN, PLUS
15 HR CHILLING AND FREEZING
SERVES 8 TO 10

Des Jardins recommends Mexican vanilla,
which has a creamy flavor and warm spice
notes, and Mexican cinnamon, or canela,
for this sorbet. Choose chiles that are soft
and pliable, and source the best chocolate
available, such as Dandelion Chocolate.

CHOCOLATE SORBET

4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed,
seeded, and torn into 1-inch pieces

2 dried chipotle chiles, stemmed,
seeded, and torn into 1-inch pieces

2 (5-inch) canela (Mexican cinnamon)
sticks

12 oz. 70% cacao bittersweet choco-
late bars, chopped (about 2^1 / 2 cups)

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup Dutch-process cocoa (such as
Droste)

1 / 2 tsp. xanthan gum (such as Bob’s
Red Mill)

1 / 2 tsp. kosher salt

4 cups water

1 tsp. Mexican vanilla extract

SPICED ALMONDS

1 /^4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg white

1 /^2 tsp. ground canela

11 / 2 cups raw almonds (about 7^1 / 2 oz.)

3 /^4 tsp. flaky sea salt

1. Make the sorbet: Cook chiles and
   canela sticks in a large skillet over
   medium, turning occasionally, until lightly
   toasted and fragrant, about 4 minutes.
   Transfer chiles to a spice grinder; process
   until very finely ground, about 30 sec-
   onds. Reserve^3 / 4 teaspoon ground chiles
   for almonds; set remaining ground chiles
   and canela sticks aside.


2. Place chopped chocolate in a large
   heatproof bowl; set aside. Whisk together
   sugar, cocoa, xanthan gum, salt, and
   remaining ground chiles in a large sauce-
   pan. Add 4 cups water and canela sticks.
   Bring to a boil over medium, whisking
   occasionally. Boil 1 minute, whisking occa-
   sionally. Pour hot mixture through a fine
   wire-mesh strainer over chocolate; discard
   solids. Whisk until chocolate is melted and
   smooth. Whisk in vanilla extract.


3. Press plastic wrap directly on surface
   of sorbet base. Let cool at room tempera-
   ture 1 hour. Transfer to refrigerator, and
   chill 8 hours or up to 24 hours.


4. Make the spiced almonds: Preheat
   oven to 350°F. Whisk together brown
   sugar, egg white, ground canela, and
   reserved^3 / 4 teaspoon ground chiles in

a large bowl until well combined. Stir in

almonds. Transfer mixture to a parch-

ment paper–lined baking sheet, and

spread into a single layer. Sprinkle with

flaky sea salt. Bake in preheated oven

until almonds are dry and toasted, 15

to 20 minutes, stirring once after 10

minutes. Let almonds cool completely;

roughly chop, and set aside.

5. Transfer chilled sorbet base to freezer
   bowl of a 1^1 / 2 -quart electric ice cream
   maker. Freeze according to manufactur-
   er’s instructions until sorbet has the tex-
   ture of soft serve, 50 minutes to 1 hour.


6. Quickly transfer sorbet to a freezer-
   safe container with lid; press parchment
   paper directly onto surface. Cover and
   freeze until firm, at least 6 hours. To
   serve, sprinkle with spiced almonds.
   MAKE AHEAD Almonds can be stored in an
   airtight container at room temperature up
   to 2 weeks. Sorbet can be frozen in an
   airtight container up to 3 months.

Jalepeño-Lime Pepitas

PHOTO P. 93

ACTIVE 15 MIN; TOTAL 55 MIN

SERVES 8

As pepitas toast, they puff up, forming a

light, crisp outer shell and a slightly chewy

center. The floral notes of the lime balance

the spicy jalapeño, making this a great bar

snack to pair with Mexican lagers or

tequila-based cocktails.

2 cups raw pepitas

1 medium-size fresh jalapeño chile,

cut crosswise into^1 / 4 -inch-thick

slices

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. coriander seeds

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. flaky sea salt, divided, plus

more to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine pepi-
   tas, jalapeño slices, oil, and coriander
   seeds on a rimmed baking sheet; toss to
   coat. Spread mixture in a single layer.
   Bake in preheated oven until pepitas are
   toasted and mostly golden, 15 to 25 min-
   utes, stirring every 5 minutes.


2. Sprinkle mixture with lime juice and^1 / 2
   teaspoon salt; toss to coat. Spread mix-
   ture in a single layer, and bake at 350°F
   until lime juice has completely evaporated
   and pepitas are crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.


3. Spread pepitas in a single layer on
   paper towels. Sprinkle with remaining^1 / 2
   teaspoon salt or more to taste. Let cool
   completely, about 30 minutes.
   MAKE AHEAD Pepitas may be stored in an
   airtight container at room temperature up
   to 8 hours or overnight.

Verbena-Infused Tequila and

Tonic

PHOTO P. 92

TOTAL 5 MIN; SERVES 1

This fresh cocktail balances citrus and

herbal notes from the infused syrup with

smooth blanco tequila. Substitute gin for a

prominent botanical flavor.

3 Tbsp. (1^1 / 2 oz.) blanco tequila

11 / 2 Tbsp. Verbena-Infused Tonic

Concentrate (recipe follows)

1 / 2 cup club soda

Lemon verbena sprig, for garnish

Lime wedge, for serving

Stir together tequila and tonic concen-

trate in an ice-filled glass. Top with club

soda. Garnish with lemon verbena sprig,

and serve with a lime wedge.

Verbena-Infused Tonic

Concentrate

PHOTO P. 92

ACTIVE 5 MIN; TOTAL 4 HR 10 MIN

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

Des Jardins infuses her tonic syrup with

fresh lemon verbena for several weeks,

but you can get similar results in a fraction

of the time with high-quality dried lemon

verbena tea leaves. Be careful not to over-

heat the syrup; a temperature of 185°F is

ideal for extracting oils in the leaves with-

out imparting bitterness.

1 (17-oz.) bottle tonic syrup (such as

Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. Classic

Tonic Syrup)

1 / 4 cup loose-leaf lemon verbena tea

(such as The Tao of Tea French

Verveine) (about^1 / 4 oz.)

Heat tonic syrup in a small saucepan over

medium-low until hot, but not simmering

(about 185°F). Stir in tea leaves. Remove

from heat, and let stand until syrup is

infused, about 4 hours. Pour mixture

through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a

bowl; discard solids.

MAKE AHEAD Infused syrup can be chilled

in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

NOTE French verveine tea from The Tao of

Tea can be purchased on amazon.com.

opposite, from top left: Linus, who

was up early for a boat ride while

Des Jardins took her morning ski,

takes a nap; Mexican Chocolate

Sorbet topped with crunchy, sugary

almonds is a sweet-and-spicy

summer treat—the perfect balance of

indulgent and refreshing; Des

Jardins (middle) poses for a selfie

with Keller (left) and Milliken (right).