Sweet, loose-skinned, and with few seeds mandarin oranges are more popular in Vietnam than regular oranges. The small fruits are commonly eaten as a peel-and-eat snack, but may they also be juiced and frozen for sorbet. Served alone or with a cookie, the sorbet is an elegant conclusion to a meal. Find the best tangerines, clementines, or satsumas in your area and juice them yourself. Avoid pasteurized juice, which can have an unpleasant cooked flavor.

　　

Ingredients

makes a scant 4 cups, to serve 6 to 8

　　3/4 cup sugar

　　1 cup water

　　2 1/2 cups fresh tangerine, clementine, or satsuma juice (from 12 to 14 fruits)

　　6 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or as needed

　　

Step 1

To make a sugar syrup, whisk together the sugar and water in a small saucepan, place over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Boil for about 30 seconds, or until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Remove from the heat and let cool completely before using. (This syrup may be made days, or even weeks, in advance and stored in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator.)

　　

Step 2

In a bowl, stir together the sugar syrup, tangerine juice, and 6 tablespoons lime juice. Taste and add more lime juice if needed to create a strong sweet-tart balance. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve positioned over a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours to chill well and develop the flavor.

　　

Step 3

Freeze the mixture in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.

　　

Sorbet and Ice Cream Tips

Step 4

Prepare the base a day or two in advance of churning and let it chill and develop flavor in the refrigerator.

　　

Step 5

Churn the sorbet or ice cream at least 2 hours before serving, pack tightly into a container to prevent crystallization, and place in the freezer to firm up and smooth.

　　

Step 6

Let the sorbet or ice cream stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes to soften before serving.

　　

Step 7

The flavor of a sorbet or ice cream fades after 3 or 4 days. To revive it, thaw it until it is once again a liquid, make any flavor adjustments, and refreeze in an ice-cream maker.

　　Reprinted with permission from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors by Andrea Nguyen. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Copyright © 2006.  Photographs by Leigh Beisch. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.