Ingredients

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups water

1 teaspoon grated grapefruit zest

2 cups freshly squeezed red-grapefruit juice

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Combine the sugar, water, and grapefruit zest in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to steep for 5 minutes.

Stir in the grapefruit juice and lemon juice. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in the black pepper, and set it aside to cool. (It will cool faster if you set the container in a bowl of ice water and stir it intermittently.)

Cover and refrigerate the sorbet base until it is thoroughly chilled, about 4 hours or up to overnight.

Process the sorbet in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s directions. Transfer it to a freezerproof container, cover, and freeze until ready to serve.