The hami melon is large and oval, with pale orange, sweet, perfumed flesh. If you like, substitute cantaloupe or honeydew for the hami melon. If you're feeling really indulgent, use a Japanese crown melon. Whichever melon you choose, make sure it's ripe, and therefore, sweet.
Start making the sorbet that accompanies it first because you need to allow time to make the syrup and let it and the lemon and lime juices chill before processing in the ice-cream machine. Once churned, it needs time to harden in the freezer. The fruit soup also needs at least a couple of hours to chill.
The makrut lime (also called kaffir lime) has leaves that come in pairs; you need two pairs for this recipe.
Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest (coloured skin only) of a lemon in wide strips. Place the zest in a small saucepan with the sugar, water and salt.
If using the makrut (kaffir) lime leaves, use a knife to remove the thick vein running down the middle of each leaf. Finely julienne the leaves and add them to the pan.
Place the pan over a medium-low flame, stir to dissolve the sugar and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool to room temperature, then strain through a sieve.
Mix 250ml (1 cup) of the syrup with the vodka and lemon and lime juices. Place the sorbet mix in the fridge to chill.
Process the sorbet mixture in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer's directions. When the sorbet is ready, transfer it to a container and freeze for several hours.
Make the hami melon soup: chop the melon flesh into chunks and process in a blender or food processor. Blend in the salt, lime juice and Grand Marnier or Cointreau, then add some of the excess syrup (from the sorbet) to taste. Taste the mixture, and add a little more Grand Marnier or Cointreau, if desired.
Refrigerate the soup for several hours, or until very cold.
When it's time to serve dessert, ladle the soup into shallow bowls. Add a scoop of lemon-lime sorbet and garnish with mint leaves and raspberries.
Any leftover syrup should be stored in the fridge, and used to sweeten cold drinks.