I know you’re going to be tempted to use seedless watermelon here, but don’t. I’ve never tasted one that I particularly liked. And because I have a penchant for making things harder than they should be, I don’t mind plucking out the seeds. For some reason, the harder something is to make, the better it tastes. (And I wonder why I spend a majority of my life in the kitchen.) Don’t worry about using a fancy sake—inexpensive brands work really well in this recipe. And unless you read Japanese, you’re not likely to be able to ascertain the difference trying to read the labels at the store.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

　　4 cups (1 1/4 pounds/600 g) small watermelon chunks, seeded

　　2/3 cup (130 g) sugar

　　2/3 cup (160 ml) sake

　　Freshly squeezed lime juice

　　

Step 1

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender, purée the watermelon chunks with the sugar and sake until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl, taste, and add a few drops of lime juice to adjust the sweetness to your liking. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

　　

Step 2

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

　　

Variation

Step 3

This sorbet makes excellent popsicles that are very refreshing in the summertime. Rather than churning the mixture in an ice cream machine, simply pour it into popsicle molds and freeze.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.