To me, nothing says summer more than watermelon. Well, that and suffocating humidity, but thankfully this dish solves that woe.

Refreshing and sweet, I could eat watermelon with every meal during summertime, especially for dessert. And as much as I can happily eat a few slices of freshly sliced melon, this recipe for watermelon sorbet from Salty Sweets (seriously my favorite dessert book ever) came across my path and quickly shot to the top of my “to cook” queue. For those who have never done it, sprinkling salt on watermelon actually brings out the sweetness and of course adds a fabulous salty flavor, so don’t knock it til you try it!

Be sure to use fleur de sel or a flaky, light sea salt. You want something gentle and mild in flavor – no kosher or table salt here. It’ll dissolve best and also won’t leave a harsh aftertaste. If you’re not keen on the idea of salted sorbet, just omit it and try out the watermelon on its own. I’m sure it’s delicious.

—

Salted Watermelon Sorbet

Based on the recipe from Salty Sweets by Christie Matheson.

Makes about 1 quart of sorbet.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of water
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 5 cups seedless watermelon chunks (from about a 3lb watermelon)
• 1 TBL freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ tsp fleur de sel

Directions

1.) In a small saucepan, make the simple syrup. Combine the water and sugar and simmer over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the burner and let cool slightly.

2.) Combine the simple syrup, watermelon, lemon juice, and fleur de sel in a blender and puree until smooth. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours but preferably overnight. Once chilled, add to your ice cream maker and churn according to the maker’s instructions.

3.) Transfer to an air-tight container and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic on the surface of the sorbet (to prevent surface crystallization). Freeze for at least an hour to firm up the texture before serving.