Clementine puffs with orange sugar and sorbet

Serves 4 Cakes, Bread and Pastries

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Method

To make the sorbet, place the clementines in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. After 5 minutes, drain and cover again with cold water.

Add 150g of the sugar and slowly return to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes until soft. Drain over a bowl and reserve the cooking liquid, as well as 3 of the cooked clementines to use for the puffs.

Put the remaining 4 cooked clementines in a processor and blitz to a purée with a spoonful of the cooking liquid. Add 250ml more liquid (discard the rest) along with the remaining sugar, lime juice, liquid glucose and triple sec, then blitz again.

Pour into a freezer-proof container and freeze for 3 hours. With a fork break up the ice crystals around the edge bringing them into the slushy centre and freeze again for 3 hours. Break up into a processor and blitz to a creamy sorbet and freeze for a minimum of 1 hour or until ready to use.

To make the orange sugar, mix the sugar and zest together and put to one side for serving.

To make the puffs, put the 3 reserved clementines in a food processor and whizz to a purée with the clementine juice and sugar. You will need about 200ml of purée. Place the purée in a pan with the butter, bring to the boil,then remove from the heat. Stir to melt the butter.

Sift the flour and baking powder onto a sheet of baking parchment, then rain into the pan of purée all in one go. Beat with a wooden spoon until it comes together to form a smooth ball, then cool for a few minutes. Beat in the egg a little at a time until a stiff, smooth paste forms.

Heat the oil in a wok (it should be 150-160ºC/300-320ºF as you cook) then carefully drop teaspoonfuls of mixture into the oil. Fry in batches, 3-4 at a time, for about 5 minutes – turning once – until puffed and deep golden. Transfer to a foil-lined tray and put in a low oven until all are cooked.

Dust the puffs with orange sugar and serve warm with the sorbet.