Frozen Watermelon Margarita With Tarragon-salt Rim

Total Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh watermelon juice (see note in directions)
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons simple syrup (recipe below)
• 2 ounces tequila, blanca
• 1 ounce orange liqueur (patron citronge is excellent)
• 1 lime
• 3 cups crushed ice

Recipe

• 1 for the watermelon juice: chop a watermelon into chunks, cutting off the rind and removing seeds. whirl in a blender until pureed. a 5-pound melon should yield about 1 quart of juice.
• 2 for the tarragon salt: muddle together dried tarragon leaves and salt. use a mortar and pestle if you have one, rather than a food processor; the mixture comes together better.
• 3 for the simple syrup: in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together 1 cup water and 1 1/2 cups sugar until dissolved. cook two minutes, remove from heat and cool. you'll have a lot left over; a bar staple, it will keep for at least a month in the refrigerator.
• 4 place the watermelon juice, tequila, orange liqueur and 2 tablespoons simple syrup into a blender. squeeze the lime over the top of it, saving the rind to run over the edge of the glasses. add the ice and blend until the liquid is slushy smooth.
• 5 rub the rim of a medium glass with the lime rind, then dip it in the tarragon salt. pour the margarita. garnish with a lime, melon ball or something unique, like a lychee nut.
• 6 to make this drink virgin: replace the tequila and orange liqueur with pineapple juice.