Herby pineapple and yuzu sherbet

New

Dessert Summer

Makes about 400ml

Prep 10 min

Cook 10 seconds...

Freeze 6 hours (or up to overnight)

A sherbet is a sorbet with a little dairy worked in - labneh (or Greek yoghurt) here, which makes it creamier and more substantial than a straight sorbet.
Use whatever soft herbs need using up - basil, mint and tarragon work particularly well here, and coriander, with its citrusy edge, is good too. Stay away from dill and sage. Blanching the herbs briefly before blending keeps everything a vivid green rather than turning murky. The yuzu is worth seeking out - most larger supermarkets stock it now, and it's easy online - but lime juice works well if you can't find it. The pineapple adds body and natural sweetness, and stops the whole thing from being too sharp.
Make it the day before and it's ready to scoop straight from the freezer when people arrive. It's very good on its own, even better with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of flaky salt on top.

Ingredients

15g	basil leaves
15g	mint leaves
5g	tarragon leaves
200g	fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
50g	labneh (or Greek yoghurt)
60ml	yuzu juice (or lime juice)
75g	caster sugar
	Olive oil, to serve (optional)
	Flaked sea salt, to serve (optional)

Method

Bring a pot of water to the boil. Prepare an ice bath by adding a few handfuls of ice cubes to some cold water in a medium bowl, then set aside. Add the herbs to the boiling water and blanch for 10 seconds - literally in and back out again - and use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the ice bath, making sure they are submerged to ensure rapid cooling.
Fish out the herbs, squeeze out any excess water and add them to a blender, along with the remaining ingredients. Blitz until super smooth, about 1 minute, then transfer to a shallow container and place in the freezer until firm (about 4 hours, or up to overnight).
Break up the sherbet and add it to a blender and blitz to a creamy slush texture, stopping and scraping down the sides as needed - the idea is to slightly aerate the sherbet. Transfer to a small container, cover and place back in the freezer until firm, about 2 hours (or up to overnight).
Take out of the freezer about 5 minutes before scooping and serving, with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt.