TV Chef
CHEF MARCEL BIRÓ

"For me, the ability to work with food is a privilege never to be taken for granted." — Chef Marcel Biró

This was the very first item I prepared on The Kitchens of Biró, and as with every recipe on the series, we shot the dish preparation three times to make certain we'd get every possible camera angle. When we wrapped on the recipe, the camera crew within minutes ate all three gallons I'd prepared, saying they couldn't believe that lemon, mint, and pepper work so well together.

Though you could use it as a warm-weather dessert, I serve Lemon-Mint Sorbet with Red Peppercorns as an amuse-bouche. It has the qualities I'm looking for in a meal prelude: it's refreshing and light, it cleans the palate, and most importantly, it leaves my guests wanting more.

Lemon Mint Sorbet with Red Peppercorns
Free to copy for personal use.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup cold water
1 cup sugar
juice of 4 lemons
zest of 3 lemons
1 ounce red peppercorns
1/2 ounce mint leaves, en chiffonade
mint leaves for garnish
peppercorns for garnish

Preparation:

If using an ice cream machine for this recipe, prepare the bowl inserts as per your machine manufacturer's instructions. If you do not have an ice cream machine, place a medium-sized stainless steel bowl in the freezer to chill.

Place the cold water in a small saucepan. Add the sugar. Bring to a boil, and then remove from heat. Allow to cool.

Add the juice and zest to the cooled sugar syrup mixture.

Place the peppercorns in a food processor and pulse until cracked, about 10 seconds. Add the peppercorns and mint chiffonades to the sugar syrup mixture and stir.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream machine or chilled stainless bowl. If using an ice cream machine, process according to your machine's specifications. If using the stainless bowl method, remove from freezer every half hour and stir. This process can take up to 2 hours, depending on your freezer and the climate in which you live.

Presentation:

I like to use a clear, chilled 2-ounce shot glass for this dish, as it looks modern and shows off the vibrant green and red colors. We pipe the sorbet into the glass with a pastry bag fitted with a round tip. Garnish with mint leaves and whole red peppercorns. Serve immediately.

Quick Tip: What is en chiffonade?

The French term en chiffonade translates literally to “made of rags” and simply means to cut vegetables or herbs into thin strips.

Wine Pairing:

NV Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin
Brut
Reims, France

NV Gruet
Blanc de Noir
New Mexico

Recipes by Chef Biró
These Recipes are Free to copy for personal use.

• Black Pepper Seared Salmon with Egg Pasta
  
  
• Double Mousse au Chocolat with Apricot and Raspberry Coulis
  
  
• Rich Grand Marnier-Chocolate Cake with Shiny Chocolate Icing and Vanilla Gelato
  
  
• Heirloom Tomatoes with Tomatillo Salad and International Salts
  
  
• Lemon Mint Sorbet with Red Peppercorns
  
  
• Mesclun Duck Breast Salad with Raspberry-Shallot Vinaigrette
  
  
• Ramp Cappuccino
  
  
• The Chefs

 

"...today, 15 years after reunification, I still love experimenting with a wealth of exotic ingredients."
— Chef Marcel Biró

Cookbooks Authored by Chef Biró
European-Inspired Cuisine is companion book to the nationally broadcast PBS reality cooking series "The Kitchens of Biró," the cookbook offers a candid, behind-the-camera look into the restaurant, culinary school, and home kitchens of Marcel Biró and Shannon Kring Biró	SpanAsian cuisine is where the elegant simplicity of Asian cooking meets the straightforward rusticity of Spanish fare. In SpanAsian cuisine, earthy tapas and colorful sushi take their place next to crispy tarte flambees and simply luxurious soups. It's a wonderful blend of ethnicities and flavors.

 

(Chef Marcel Biró)