Rhubarb sorbet with red shiso granita and frozen marshmallow meringue
- medium
- 10
- 1 hour 25 minutes plus resting, cooling, chilling and freezing time
Merlin Labron-Johnson’s elegant dessert is made entirely of frozen elements. Pink rhubarb is steamed over a bain-marie to release all of its juice. The juice is then flavoured with red shiso for salty, bitter and herbaceous top notes for a granita. The cooked rhubarb is blended to make a sorbet. The surprise element is the frozen marshmallow meringue which sits – hidden – underneath the pastel shades of pinks. Freezing the meringue gives it a soft marshmallow-like texture, offering a wonderful eating experience of different textures and sensations on the palette.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
FROZEN MERINGUE
- 100g of liquid glucose
- 100g of caster sugar
- 20ml of water
- 75g of egg white
STEAMED RHUBARB PURÉE
- 1kg rhubarb, ideally forced, chopped
- 420g of caster sugar
- 660g of water
RED SHISO GRANITA
- 5 red shiso leaves
RHUBARB SORBET
- 200ml of water
- 200g of caster sugar
- 50g of liquid glucose
- dried red shiso powder, to serve
Equipment
- Temperature probe
- Piping bags
- Ice cream maker
Method
For the frozen meringue, combine the liquid glucose with the sugar in a small saucepan then add the water. Bring to a boil then bring it to 121°C
- 100g of liquid glucose
- 100g of caster sugar
- 20ml of water
Meanwhile, place the egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk until peaks start to form. Once the syrup is at 121°C, slowly pour it into the whisking egg whites to create a stable Italian meringue. Once fully incorporated, continue to whisk until cold then transfer to a piping bag
- 75g of egg white
Pipe the equivalent of two tablespoons of the meringue into the bottom of each serving bowl. Place the bowls in a freezer for at least 1 hour
For the rhubarb purée, mix the rhubarb with the sugar and water and place in a bowl over a bain-marie. Cover the bowl so that the steam cannot evaporate and steam the mixture over simmering water until the rhubarb is completely cooked and all the water has been released – approximately 30-40 minutes. Remove from the bain-marie and leave to rest for 15 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh sieve – reserve the juice for the granita (you’ll need 1 litre) and the cooked rhubarb for the sorbet
- 1kg rhubarb, ideally forced, chopped
- 420g of caster sugar
- 660g of water
Cool the rhubarb juice then chill in the fridge. Place the cooked rhubarb in a blender or food processor and blend to smooth purée (you’ll need 1kg). Set aside
For the granita, blend the shiso with the chilled rhubarb juice and pass through a fine mesh sieve. Place in a freezer proof container and leave to freeze. Once frozen, use a fork to scrape the top of the ice, reserving the ice shavings in a separate container in the freezer
- 5 red shiso leaves
For the sorbet, bring the water, sugar and liquid glucose to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Leave to cool then mix with the rhubarb purée. Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions then place in the freezer until needed (just bring it out of the fridge a few minutes before you want to serve)
- 200ml of water
- 200g of caster sugar
- 50g of liquid glucose
To serve, remove the bowls from the freezer. Cover the frozen meringue with two tablespoons of the granita. Place a spoonful of the rhubarb sorbet on top and garnish with a dusting of the dried red shiso powder. Serve immediately
- dried red shiso powder, to serve
After six years working in Michelin-starred restaurants in Switzerland, France and Belgium, Merlin Labron-Johnson returned to the UK to open Portland. Nine months later, he was awarded a Michelin star at just twenty-four years old. Now he can be found in Bruton, Somerset, with his restaurant Osip, which was awarded a Michelin green star in 2023.
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