At Gilbert’s Fresh, we love it when watermelon season starts! There’s no doubt it’s a crowd favourite, as it should be, and as the temperatures start to soar there’s nothing quite like a cold slice of watermelon to refresh and revive. Each juicy bite has significant levels of vitamins A, B6 and C, lots of lycopene, antioxidants and amino acids. It’s also fat-free and very low in sodium.
As the start of watermelon season coincides with the start of another exciting time of the year we thought we’d share a slightly more sophisticated approach to using one of our favourite fruits! There’s more than one way to tackle a watermelon friends and this recipe for Watermelon Gin Fizz, by our resident foodie Kate Flower, will add a special sparkle to your festive season.
Nothing quite kicks off Christmas festivities like a fresh, fruity cocktail. This one is blushing with beautiful Christmas reds and will be sure to wow your colleagues, family, and friends wherever it’s served. Make it a non-alcoholic option by swapping the bubbles for lemonade or soda water and leave out the gin.
Watermelon Gin Fizz
Makes 6 cocktails
Ingredients:
1/4 small watermelon
180 ml elderflower cordial
180 ml lime juice
180 ml gin
4 drops of orange oil or a little orange zest
600ml Prosecco
1 orange, zested finely.
1 x 15g bag of freeze-dried strawberries crushed into crumbs.
Dehydrated orange slices (optional)
Method:
Blend watermelon flesh until smooth then strain through a sieve and measure 600ml into a jar or jug.
Add the cordial, lime juice, and gin to the jug, stir well and then pop in the freezer for a couple of hours. (You could transfer to a wide plastic container to have it freeze quickly.)
15 minutes before serving your cocktail take the watermelon mix out of the freezer and allow to thaw a little. Ideally, it should be a slushie texture.
Place the crushed strawberry onto a flat plate and spread it with the orange zest.
Dampen the rim of each cocktail glass then lightly press them into the strawberry and orange mix to create a decorative rim.
Place even amounts of watermelon mixture into each of the 6 cocktail glasses, top with 100ml of Prosecco each then finish with a dehydrated orange round if using and a little more strawberry dust. Cheers!
