Fusion Recipe: Lychee & Prosecco Granita

 🥂 Lychee & Prosecco Granita: Icy Italian Glamour

Granita is a simple, semi-frozen dessert hailing from Sicily, known for its coarser, flakier ice crystals—the perfect, light palate cleanser. This special Lychee & Prosecco Granita takes the elegant, floral sweetness of lychee fruit and blends it with the crisp, dry fizz of Italian Prosecco. The result is a sophisticated, boozy slushy that is simultaneously fragrant, chillingly refreshing, and wonderfully delicate, making it a stellar offering for a celebratory dessert or an upscale intermezzo. Served in a martini glass, its pale, shimmering pink hue adds a touch of pure glamour to any special occasion.

📝 Ingredients

Component	Item	Quantity
Lychee Base	Canned Lychees in Syrup (drained, reserve the syrup)	1 (15-oz) can, about 1 cup of fruit
	Fresh Lime or Lemon Juice	1 Tbsp
	Reserved Lychee Syrup	1/2 cup
Granita Mixture	Prosecco (dry, brut is recommended)	1 1/2 cups (or a little more for a stronger flavour)
	Water	1/4 cup
	Caster Sugar (Superfine)	2 Tbsp (adjust to taste)
Garnish (Optional)	Fresh Mint Sprigs	A few
	Whole Lychee Fruits	A few

🔪 Instructions & Method

1. Prepare the Sweet Base

• Make Simple Syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the water, caster sugar, and the reserved lychee syrup. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.
• Purée Lychees: In a blender or food processor, combine the drained lychee fruit and the lime/lemon juice.¹ Blend until perfectly smooth.
  
  
• Combine Liquids: In a large bowl or shallow, freezer-safe dish (metal works best for fast freezing), pour the cooled syrup mixture and the lychee purée. Stir well to combine.

2. Add the Prosecco and Freeze

• Mix Prosecco: Gently stir the Prosecco into the lychee-syrup mixture. Taste the mixture and add a small squeeze of lime juice or a touch more sugar if needed—remember the flavour will dull slightly when frozen.
• Initial Freeze: Pour the mixture into your shallow freezer dish. Place the dish flat in the freezer for about 1 to 1.5 hours, until ice crystals start forming around the edges.

3. Scrape and Finish the Granita

• Scrape: Remove the dish from the freezer. Use a large fork to thoroughly scrape the frozen edges towards the centre, breaking up the ice into coarse flakes.²
  
• Repeat: Return the dish to the freezer. Continue this scraping process every 30-45 minutes for about 3-4 hours, or until the entire mixture has been transformed into a light, flaky, slushy crystal texture. The more often you scrape, the finer the texture will be.
• Serve: Scoop the Lychee & Prosecco Granita into chilled martini or coupe glasses. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig and a whole lychee, if using.

💡 Tips for Success

• The Right Dish: Use a wide, shallow metal or glass baking dish (like a 9 x 13 inch pan). A larger surface area allows the mixture to freeze faster and more evenly, resulting in better, flakier crystals.
• Keep it Boozy: Alcohol lowers the freezing point, which is what gives granita its soft, flaked texture instead of a solid block of ice.³ Do not use a very sweet Prosecco, as the sugar will also inhibit freezing. A dry Brut or Extra Dry Prosecco is ideal.
  
  
• Final Fluff: Right before serving, give the granita a final scrape with the fork to "fluff" it up and ensure the texture is light and airy.⁴
  
  
• Storage: The granita can be kept in the freezer for up to one week. If it freezes into a solid block, simply let it soften slightly at room temperature, then use the fork to scrape and revitalise the texture before serving.