12466 Green Izarra Sorbet Serves 10 Wed Aug 06 01:08:02 -0700 2008 Wed Feb 04 06:19:04 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12466 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:19:04 GMT It is not always easy to find Izarra, the old herbal liqueur of the Basque country. Izarra means star. There are two types: yellow and green. The yellow is lighter in flavor, while the green is lustier and drier in taste. Izarra is prepared from an ancient secret formula, using exotic plants from the Pyrenees, herbs, honey, Armagnac, and spices, including saffron. The yellow type is made from as many as thirty-two plants; the green from forty-eight. When I visited the Izarra distillery in Bayonne I saw such things as mint, coriander, anise, cardamom, star anise, caraway, angelica, vanilla, nutmeg, bitter almonds, dried celery, all laid out in boxes as they are sometimes in health food stores.

Tradition has it that in the Pyrenees Izarra was sprinkled on snow, then eaten—a forerunner, perhaps, to this sorbet. If Izarra is unobtainable, try the variation made with Chartreuse at the end of this recipe; it's not authentically Southwest, but it's good.

This ice is best if made a day ahead and allowed to ripen.

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  • A day in advance, dissolve the sugar in 4 cups water over moderate heat, stirring. If sugar crystals appear on the inner sides of the pan, brush down with a brush dipped in cold water. Boil undisturbed for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let cool slightly, then add the Izarra. Let the syrup cool completely.
  • Stir the orange juice and lemon juice into the Izarra syrup. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring to obtain a mint-green hue.
  • Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufactuer's instructions, adding the cream just before it freezes solid. Pack into a covered container and freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Pour about 1 tablespoon Izarra over each serving.
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com Paula Wolfert 50 Main 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar

    ]]>     ¼ cup green Izarra plus more for pouring over each serving

    ]]>     ⅓ cup fresh orange juice

    ]]>     ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

    ]]>     Green food coloring (optional)

    ]]>     ½ cup heavy cream

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