Tangerine Sherbet

required equipment

Ice Cream Machine of some sort

ingredients

1/2 teaspoon gelatin
2 1/4 pounds tangerines
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled.

method

Freeze the canister of an ice-cream maker overnight.

Put the gelatin and about 2 tablespoons of water into a small saucepan and leave to sit (not on any heat). Strip the zest from two tangerines with a zeste. Toss the zest into a bowl. Squeeze the tangerines, even the zested ones, removing any seeds, to make 1 1/2 cups of juice.

Take the saucepan with the gelatin, put a very little heat under it until the gelatin starts to look smooth, not grainy. Then stir in the sugar, salt, juice and zest and turn up the heat slightly, letting it come to something like the temperature of your finger. Stir to make sure the sugar is dissolved, then chill it in the refrigerator.

When it is cold, strain out the zest. Add the cold cream and stir to combine. Add to your ice-cream maker and process according to your machines usual directions. Chill in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

Adapted from a recipe in the January 9, 2009 NYT