Fine ice crystals made from ripe watermelon and lime, with a spoonful of creamy salted yogurt and fresh mint. This granita doesn’t need an ice cream maker, just a few hours in the freezer and the occasional scrape with a fork.
Watermelon works best for this granita when the flesh is ripe, juicy and naturally sweet. In the Netherlands, watermelon is especially popular in summer, when it’s widely available. Taste a piece before blending: the amount of sugar in the recipe is modest and meant to round out the flavor, not completely mask a bland melon. If the melon is very sweet, you can leave out the sugar; if it’s less sweet, use the stated amount.
Lime juice adds a sharp, fresh green note that keeps the frozen melon from tasting flat or overly sweet. Use freshly squeezed juice and add it to the flesh with the sugar so it’s evenly distributed through the mixture. There’s no need for the zest. A blender makes quick work of smoothing the mixture, but an immersion blender in a tall measuring jug works too. No need to strain it: small pieces of flesh give the granita a little more body.
The most important tool is a shallow, freezer-safe dish. The mixture freezes more evenly in it than in a deep bowl. As it freezes, scrape the sides and bottom with a fork to break up large sheets of ice into fine, separate crystals. Don’t wait until the whole dish is rock hard. If you can’t scrape it in between, leave the dish a little longer and break up the frozen mixture with a sturdy fork just before serving. The exact time depends on your freezer and the depth of the dish.
The yogurt is lightly salted on purpose. That savory touch brings the contrast with the fresh, sweet granita into focus and adds a creamy spoonful among the ice crystals. Full-fat Greek yogurt stays thick and spoonable; regular full-fat yogurt works too, but it’s a little thinner. Stir in the salt just before serving and taste: a small pinch should stand out without making the yogurt taste salty.
Serve the granita as soon as it’s light and easy to scrape, with the yogurt alongside or on top and mint to finish. You can freeze the watermelon-lime mixture ahead of time, but for the best loose texture, scrape the ice crystals again with a fork just before serving. Store leftovers covered in the freezer; let them stand for a few minutes before serving, then scrape them loose again. Keep the yogurt separately in the fridge and add it at the last moment.
Cut the watermelon flesh into pieces and put them in a blender or tall measuring jug. Add the lime juice and sugar and blend until smooth.
Pour the mixture into a shallow, freezer-safe dish. Place the dish in the freezer.
After 45 minutes, use a fork to scrape the frozen edges and bottom loose, then mix the ice crystals into the still-liquid center. Repeat every 30–45 minutes for about 3–4 hours, until the granita consists of loose crystals throughout.
Just before serving, stir the salt into the yogurt. Taste and add another small pinch of salt if needed.
Divide the granita among four chilled bowls. Add salted yogurt and finish with the mint leaves.
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