Don't be intimidated by the title, this is a surprisingly simple and tasty dish that even an unmotivated dormitory slacker like myself can prepare with style and grace (assuming he leaves any of the champagne left once he gets ahold of it). I usually substitute German sekt for the old bubbly, since it costs about one-sixth as much here on the European continent, but if you've been itching for years to crack open that $75 bottle of premium Dom grape juice, you won't find a better cooking opportunity than this. At least, one that's offered by me.
You will need, young grasshopper:
- 1.5 cups (375 ml) of sugar, granulated
- 0.5 cup (125 ml) lemon juice
Add your sugar and water to a saucepan, heat to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture turns viscous enough to form strings against your spoon. Congratulations, you have just made simple syrup (AKA hummingbird food).
In order to liven up the taste, you'll want to stir the champagne, juice, and fruit du jour into the syrup, and let it cool for several minutes. Pour the sorbet into a plastic (not glass) container and let freeze overnight (or about 5-6 hours, if you are really impatient) until it becomes firm. Remove the container from the freezer, pour into a bowl, and blend with an electric mixer. Stick it back into the freezer until once again firm, then remove a final time to serve and eat.