Lemon Ice Ice Baby

Sicily, Sorrento and the Amalfi coast in particular, boast some of the best (if not the very best) citrus fruit in the world. Lemons and oranges can be found practically everywhere and are used locally in a whole range of ways - perfumes, soaps, liquors, sweets, and of course the local cuisine.

The differences between what grows over there and what we have in the UK are noticeable immediately. They're much bigger, more perfumed and far far sweeter with none of the sharp bitterness usually associated with lemons. These badboys are so special that the 'Sorrento Lemon' was even granted it's own IGP recognition (Protected Geographical Indication) in November 2000, something more usually associated with the production of wine.

Other than squeezed over fish, my two favourite uses of these prized assets are in the production of 'limoncello' (a local liquor that I'm sure everyone has drunk at some point, usually excessively) and 'granita di limone' (a semi-frozen treat now available in all sorts of flavours).

One will get you pissed, the other will cleanse your palate. You can always mix them both together like I drunkenly did with some friends on Saturday night, I think I remember it working...

Anyway, if you want 'limoncello' get yourself to Sorrento. But if you want granita, here's a really easy recipe to make the original lemon version, and damn refreshing it is too.

Serves 4-6:

600ml of water
300g of sugar
500ml of lemon juice (approx 8-16 lemons)
zest of 1 lemon

Bring the water and sugar to a light simmer and reduce until you have a slightly syrupy consistency, this shouldn't take much more than 10 mins. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Strain the lemon juice through a sieve straight into the cooled syrup, mix well and leave to rest for 30 mins. Add the grated zest (and ribbons of very finely shredded mint if you fancy) and pour into a plastic container with a lid.

Pop this into the freezer for 4-5 hours stirring (and eventually scraping) the mixture well every 30 mins with a fork. That's pretty much it.

Get stuck in or just keep in the freezer until you're ready. If it solidifies a little too much over time just fluff it up again with a fork before serving in a glass. Enjoy!

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Phwoar, sausage and broccoli, a combination that takes me instantly back home.  Every year on the 12th and 13th of December in Sorrento (Campania, Italy) the locals get together for "la festa di Santa Lucia", an important religious prequel and festival to Christmas.  

Kids set of fireworks, a huge bonfire is lit and everybody eats, lots.

The hero of the event is by far the sense of community that brings everyone together and the food is really what helps drives that.  My highlight was always the sausage and broccoli which came grilled and in a crusty bread roll, delicious. Tonight that is pretty much what I ate.

Serves 2:

Extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 dried chilli
4 good quality pork or venison sausages
1 head of broccoli
1 bunch purple sprouting broccoli
1 handful of cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon of tomato pure
1/3 glass of water

Chop the head of broccoli into halved florets but leave the purple sprouting spears whole. Once this is done bring a pan of salted water to the boil and begin frying the sausages in a little oil. Put the broccoli in the boiling water turn down the heat and cook for just a few minutes until very slightly softened.

Add the chopped garlic cloves and chilli to the sausages - which by this point should have taken on a nice golden brown colour - strain the broccoli and add to the pan. Give a good stir and add the halved cherry tomatoes, cook for a few more minutes until these have softened. Season well.

If it starts to look a little dry just mix the tomato pure with the water and use it a bit like a stock.  

Plate up, drizzle a little oil and go for it with a nice glass of red, a local Taurasi in my opinion, also referred to as "the Barolo of the South". Cheers!

Just in case you were wondering, the name Lucy derives from the Latin "lux", meaning light. St Lucy is the patron saint of the blind and those with eye problems.

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