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Bar H: Summer berries with mascarpone and shiso sorbet and five-spice shortbread

Bar H: Summer berries with mascarpone and shiso sorbet and five-spice shortbread

“What better way on a hot summer’s day to finish a big Christmas lunch than with a huge bowl of summer berries and a lovely refreshing sorbet.” - Hamish Ingham, Bar H, Sydney

Bar H: Summer berries with mascarpone and shiso sorbet and five-spice shortbread

Serves 8
Cooking Time Prep time 30 mins, cook 20 mins (plus cooling, freezing)
500 gm   strawberries (about 2 punnets)
250 gm   raspberries (about 2 punnets)
250 gm   blueberries (about 2 punnets)
80 ml   Averna amaro (see note)
Mascarpone and shiso sorbet
300 gm   caster sugar
500 gm   mascarpone
Juice   of 2 lemons
Five-spice shortbread
150 gm   butter, softened
35 gm   caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
2   egg yolks
150 gm (1 cup)   plain flour
1 tbsp   five-spice powder
150 gm   almond meal


1 For mascarpone and shiso sorbet, bring sugar, shiso and 200ml water to the boil in a saucepan, stir to dissolve sugar, remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Strain through a fine sieve into a jug (discard shiso). Whisk mascarpone in a bowl, then gradually add syrup, whisking continuously until smooth. Add lemon juice, stir to just combine, then freeze in an ice-cream machine, being careful not to over-churn as this will result in a grainy texture. Freeze until firm (2-3 hours or until required). Makes about 1 litre.
2 For five-spice shortbread, preheat oven to 180C. Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, add yolks one at a time and beat until combined. Sift in flour and five-spice, add almond meal and mix with your hands until mixture comes together. Roll heaped tablespoons of dough into balls about 3cm in diameter, then shape into crescents. Place on oven trays lined with baking paper and bake, swapping trays halfway through cooking time, until golden(15-20 minutes). While warm, dust heavily with caster sugar and set aside to cool. Shortbread will keep in an airtight container for a week.
3 To serve, halve strawberries and combine in a bowl with raspberries, blueberries and Averna amaro. Divide among serving dishes, top with mascarpone and shiso sorbet and serve with five-spice shortbread.

Note Averna amaro is a bitter Italian liqueur available from select liquor shops. If it’s unavailable, substitute another amaro.

This recipe is from the December 2011 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.

Drink Suggestion A medium-sweet dessert wine with a dry finish, such as 2006 Ökonomierat Rebholz Albersweiler Latt Gewürztraminer, Pfalz, Germany.

RECIPE Hamish Ingham, Bar H, Sydney PHOTOGRAPHY William Meppem STYLING Lucy Weight DRINK SUGGESTION Charles Leong

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