2/3 C. water
¾ C. superfine Sugar
Zest of 2 lemons
1 large bunch of basil leaves (whichever variety you wish), reserve some to serve
2/3 C. lemon juice

Place the water, sugar and lemon zest in a small pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the basil leaves from the stems (discarding the stems) and purée the leaves in a pestle and mortar or blender. Add the lemon juice and basil purée to the lemon-zest syrup, stir well, then allow to cool for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse. If you wish to be posh, strain the infusion through a sieve or if, like me, you love the leaves, simply pour it straight into a plastic tub or earthenware freezer-proof dish and place it in the freezer. Generally, sorbet takes 2 hours to set. So that the sorbet is not rock hard, remove the container from the freezer after 30 minutes, beat the sorbet with a fork and return to the freezer. Repeat this three more times, every 30 minutes. You will find that this will make the sorbet crystallize rather than set as a rock of ice. Serve decorated with some fresh basil leaves.