It's been unseasonably warm in recent weeks, with afternoon temperatures climbing into the 30s. It's not quite too hot to eat, but it's certainly time to put aside the heavier foods of winter and think of more summery fare.
Last summer, my daughter discovered a fantastic Jamie Oliver recipe for elderflower and prosecco jelly with summer fruits. It uses beef gelatine, so is not suitable for vegetarians as-is, but a vegetarian gelatine substitute should work as a replacement.
The jelly makes for a perfect spring or summer pudding, with the fruits altered in line with what's ripe. It's light and sweet, but the bubbly prosecco makes it feel like a real treat.
The recipe below has been copied unedited from www.jamieoliver.com.
8 punnets of mixed soft fruit (blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries)
4 leaves of beef gelatine
140ml elderflower cordial
2 heaped tablespoons caster sugar
425ml prosecco (sparkling Italian wine), chilled
First of all, decide whether you want to make one big jelly or small individual ones. If you are making a big one, it's a good idea to line the bowl with clingfilm first. Put your ripe fruit into your mould or moulds and refrigerate. Put your gelatine leaves into a bowl with a little cold water to soak for a minute, then drain and add the gelatine back to the bowl with the cordial. Rest above a pan of water over a medium heat and stir constantly until the gelatine and cordial become a syrup. At this point you can add your sugar, stir till dissolved, then remove the bowl from the heat and let it sit at room temperature for a minute or so.
Take your fruit and prosecco out of the fridge. The idea being that your fruit, moulds and prosecco are all chilled, so the bubbles stay in the jelly when it sets and they fizz in your mouth when you eat it - beautiful! Pour the prosecco into your cordial mix, and then pour this over your fruit. Some of the fruit might rise to the top, so using your finger, just push the fruit down into the jelly mix so that it is sealed and will then keep well in the fridge. Put back into the fridge for an hour to set.
To serve, dip your mould into a bowl of hot water to loosen the outside of the jelly, then turn it out on to a plate. Great served with a little crème fraîche but just as good on its own.
Last summer, my daughter discovered a fantastic Jamie Oliver recipe for elderflower and prosecco jelly with summer fruits. It uses beef gelatine, so is not suitable for vegetarians as-is, but a vegetarian gelatine substitute should work as a replacement.
The jelly makes for a perfect spring or summer pudding, with the fruits altered in line with what's ripe. It's light and sweet, but the bubbly prosecco makes it feel like a real treat.
The recipe below has been copied unedited from www.jamieoliver.com.
8 punnets of mixed soft fruit (blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries)
4 leaves of beef gelatine
140ml elderflower cordial
2 heaped tablespoons caster sugar
425ml prosecco (sparkling Italian wine), chilled
First of all, decide whether you want to make one big jelly or small individual ones. If you are making a big one, it's a good idea to line the bowl with clingfilm first. Put your ripe fruit into your mould or moulds and refrigerate. Put your gelatine leaves into a bowl with a little cold water to soak for a minute, then drain and add the gelatine back to the bowl with the cordial. Rest above a pan of water over a medium heat and stir constantly until the gelatine and cordial become a syrup. At this point you can add your sugar, stir till dissolved, then remove the bowl from the heat and let it sit at room temperature for a minute or so.
Take your fruit and prosecco out of the fridge. The idea being that your fruit, moulds and prosecco are all chilled, so the bubbles stay in the jelly when it sets and they fizz in your mouth when you eat it - beautiful! Pour the prosecco into your cordial mix, and then pour this over your fruit. Some of the fruit might rise to the top, so using your finger, just push the fruit down into the jelly mix so that it is sealed and will then keep well in the fridge. Put back into the fridge for an hour to set.
To serve, dip your mould into a bowl of hot water to loosen the outside of the jelly, then turn it out on to a plate. Great served with a little crème fraîche but just as good on its own.
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