Melon salad with grappa granita

Method

1. Make the granita. Put the sugar into a saucepan with 500ml water. Stir over a low heat to dissolve the sugar, then increase the heat, bring to the boil and cook for 3 minutes, until slightly syrupy. Leave to cool, then stir in the grappa and lemon juice and pour into a shallow, freezer-proof container. Freeze until icy at the edges – about 11/2-2 hours.
2. Scrape the frozen mixture away from the sides of the box and break into smaller crystals with a spoon or fork. Return to the freezer and repeat every 30 minutes or so, until all the mixture is frozen but grainy. Return to the freezer until ready to serve.
3. Prepare the melons. Take a small slice off the top and bottom of the cantaloupe and Galia melons, then cut away the skin in wide strips from top to bottom. Halve, then scoop out and discard the seeds. Dice the flesh and put into a large bowl. Cut the watermelon into wedges and slice the flesh from the skin. Dice the flesh, pick out and discard the seeds, and add to the bowl. Gently toss together.
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5. Divide the melon between 6 glasses. Spoon some of the granita on top and decorate with a mint sprig, if using, to serve.