Lychee Sorbet with Spiced Blackberries

Method

1. To make the lychee sorbet, peel and deseed the lychees over a bowl, reserving any juice. Place the lychee flesh and any reserved juice in the bowl of a food processor or in a blender and process until smooth. Pass the puree through a sieve into a bowl and use a wooden spoon to press firmly to extract all the liquid. Discard the pulp.
2. Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add to strained lychee puree and stir to combine. Pour into a shallow freezerproof container and place in the freezer for 3-4 hours or until set.
3. Use a metal spoon to roughly break up frozen mixture and then quickly transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth and the mixture is a soft "icy" texture. Transfer the mixture immediately back to the container and cover with a lid or foil. Return to the freezer for 3 hours or until fully frozen.
4. To make the spiced blackberries, combine the water, sugar and star anise in a small saucepan. Stir occasionally over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Place the blackberries in a heatproof bowl, pour the hot syrup over and set aside for 15 minutes or until cooled to room temperature.
5. To serve, spoon the spiced blackberries into serving glasses or bowls. Drizzle over some of the blackberry syrup and top with a scoop of the lychee sorbet. Serve immediately.