Tropical Jackfruit–Ginger Ale Sorbet with Charred Pineapple

Chef Sam Fore of the pop up Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites in Lexington, Kentucky, created this summer fruit dessert recipe for an icy, quenching sorbet of jackfruit, pineapple, and ginger ale. The sorbet has become an ever-present treat at her summer pop-up dinners, combining pineapple and jackfruit, both popular in Sri Lanka, with the spicy flavors of Ale-8-One, a Kentucky ginger ale.

Tropical Jackfruit Ginger Ale Sorbet with Charred Pineapple
Photo: Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Any good-quality, spicy ginger ale or ginger beer will work well in this recipe, Fore says, "but when it comes to the jackfruit, it's important to get jackfruit in syrup, which is sweet, and not jackfruit in brine, which is savory." Look for jackfruit at Asian grocery stores. (It's also easy to buy jackfruit in syrup online.) Rinsing the sweet pods with a little saltwater enhances their tropical flavor.

The sorbet comes together quickly in an ice cream maker. For a final flourish, Fore caramelizes fresh pineapple under the broiler until it develops a lightly charred flavor, which she uses as a topping for the sweet-tart frozen dessert.

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup chopped (3/4-inch pieces) fresh pineapple (about 5 ounces)

  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

  • 1 cup warm water

  • ¼ cup plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 

  • 1 (20-ounce) can jackfruit in syrup, drained

  • 1 (8-ounce) can pineapple juice

  • 1 (12-ounce) can Ale-8-One soda or good-quality ginger ale, chilled

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to broil with oven rack about 6 inches from heat. Spread pineapple pieces evenly on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil; sprinkle evenly with sugar. Broil in preheated oven until charred in spots, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool completely, about 30 minutes.

  2. Whisk together 1 cup warm water and 1/4 cup salt in a medium bowl until salt is dissolved. Add jackfruit, and stir 30 seconds. Drain and discard saltwater.

  3. Combine drained jackfruit, pineapple juice, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender; process until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour mixture though a fine wire-mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Carefully stir soda into mixture.

  4. Pour jackfruit mixture into an ice cream maker; process according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve immediately for a soft-serve consistency, or transfer to a shallow container, cover, and freeze until firm, about 3 hours. Garnish with charred pineapple just before serving. —Sam Fore

Make Ahead

Sorbet can be stored in an airtight container in freezer up to 2 days. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving. Charred pineapple can be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 days.

Originally appeared: July 2022

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