Nigella Lawson’s Summer Sgroppino Cocktail Recipe

Love desserts? Love cocktails? What if there was a dish that blended the two? Enter the Sgroppino, an icy lemon pudding/cocktail hybrid which is perfect for the summer months. Refreshing, tasty and easy to whizz up, it’s perfect for summer dinner parties – and who better to guide you than one of the world’s most famous chefs, Nigella Lawson?

Nigella has shared her failsafe recipe for the Italian treat, which requires just three ingredients, as part of her ongoing partnership with Ocado. ‘This is a very special drinkable dessert which you can whip up in mere moments,’ she says. ‘Moreover, if you make sure to keep the sorbet and vodka stashed in the freezer, and the prosecco in the fridge, you are ready to deliver near-instant delight to even unplanned guests, infusing last-minute gatherings with sunny spontaneity.’

The British food writer first tasted this ‘divine concoction’ while living in Italy aged 19. ‘This is about creating something heavenly with minimal effort,’ Nigella says. ‘It’s hard to convey exactly or adequately the wondrousness of a sgroppino, for these three ingredients combine to create an icy froth that seems neither quite solid nor liquid, but the minute you take your first grateful gulp you will know exactly what I mean. More than a frozen cocktail or a drinkable dessert, a sgroppino is heaven in a glass!’

What Is A Sgroppino?

A Sgroppino is an Italian drink/dessert concoction made with prosecco, vodka and lemon sorbet. Bubbly, boozy and refreshing, it is usually served at the end of a meal or as a palate cleanser, and is particularly popular during the summer. It’s thought to have originated in 16th century Venice, when aristocrats were served sorbet with a dash of alcohol to aid digestion during dinner. Over the years the recipe developed, with prosecco and vodka added to the mix.

Nigella Lawson’s Sgroppino Recipe

• Makes 1 x 150ml glass
• Prep time: 3 minutes

Ingredients:

• 100g Remeo Lemon Sorbet
• 25ml chilled vodka (1 shot)
• 25ml chilled prosecco (1 shot)

Method:

1. Get a small 150ml coupe or martini glass and a small wide-ish jug. Scoop the lemon sorbet into the jug.
2. Pour over the vodka, followed by the prosecco. Mix swiftly but gently with a couple of forks, pulling the sorbet apart and into the liquid rather than beating the ingredients together.
3. When you have a lump-free cohesive mixture resembling a cloud of frosty froth, pour into the prepared glass.
4. Raise to your lips and prepare to be transported!

TIP: Chill your glasses to keep your cocktail cold – put them in the freezer for at least 30 mins, or up to 2 hrs before serving. (Avoid freezing crystal and delicate glass.)

This recipe was created by Nigella for Ocado.