Melon Granita - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 2 lbs cantaloupe or 2 lbs persian melon
3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (divided)
1/3 cup sugar
1 lemon, zest of, grated
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (optional)
1 pinch ground nutmeg
fresh mint sprig, garnish (optional)

Preparation

Peel, halve, and seed melons; cut into chunks and place in medium-sized bowl, reserving 1/2 cup of the melon chunks in another small container.
To the reserved 1/2 cup of melon, add 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice; toss to coat; cover and refrigerate.
To remaining larger bowl of melon, add sugar, remaining lemon juice, lemon zest, allspice, pepper (if using) and nutmeg; toss to mix; cover and marinate melon in refrigerator for 2-12 hours.
Strain juices from larger bowl of melon chunks into a small saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat and cook 1 minute; remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Combine marinated melon chunks and reduced juices in a food processor or blender; puree until smooth; pour into a bowl, cover, and chill for 2 hours.
Pour pureed and chilled mixture into ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer's directions; serve topped with reserved diced melon and fresh mint sprigs.
NOTE: The name \"granita\" comes from a Spanish word meaning small grain or, by association, granular texture.