I first had Vodka Sorbet at a small local restaurant in Paris, just off the rue Monsieur Le Prince in the 6eme. I'm not exactly sure how they made it, but I've come up with a method that produces very similar results. Try and use a good quality Russian vodka such as Stolichnaya.
In your favourite pan, combine a cup of sugar with two cups of water over a medium heat. When the sugar has completely dissolved, stir like mad, and bring it to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for about five minutes, then take it off the heat, cover the pan, and let it stand for about ten minutes to cool off.
Next add two and half tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, and a decent slug of vodka. Pour it into a container (tupperware is ideal), and shove it into your deep freeze. When it is half-frozen, take it out and mash it together with a fork. Put it back into the freezer again.
When it's re-frozen, take it out, and blend it together in the trusty Magimix. Re-freeze. Serve it with a sprig of fresh mint, and drizzle some more cold vodka over it. You will find that cold vodka goes thick, and stops the sorbet from freezing up completely- and that's how you want it. Like other recipes from The Greasy Spoon, engagingly simple.
