Friday 10 August 2007

Slut Red Raspberries in Chardonnay Jelly


Slut Red Raspberries in Chardonnay Jelly

I’ve been making this pudding every year since Nigella Lawson’s Forever Summer was published, some years more than once! They are very pretty summery jellies, and if you can get the sun to glint on them, so much the better. I used to be a bit appalled by the name of this recipe, but I seem to have gotten over that eventually!

I usually use an Australian Chardonnay, because I like the fruity taste of Australian wines, and they are easily available to me here, and of course it came to Nigella from a fellow Australian food writer, so I’m keeping in with the original.

I like to burn off most of the alcohol (see method), because I think it tastes better, but it’s your call. Either way they are lovely fruity jellies and you only need a little cream to blend the flavours to prefection.

Just as an extra, do most of you have Nigella’s books? I’m heading towards a Nigella run of recipes and just wondered!


Slut Red Raspberries in Chardonnay Jelly
From Nigella Lawson’s Forever Summer

You might think that no recipe could live up to this title. It's a reasonable presumption, but thank God, a wrong one. This is heaven on the plate: the wine-soused raspberries take on a stained glass, lucent red, their very raspberriness enhanced; the soft, translucently pale coral just-set jelly in which they sit has a heady, floral fragrance that could make a grateful eater weep. This recipe was emailed to me from Australia from my erstwhile editor, Eugenie Boyd. I've fiddled with it a bit, but it is the best present a foodwriter could ever have. Now it's yours.

1 bottle Chardonnay, choose a good fruity variety
300g raspberries
1 vanilla
pod, split lengthways (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
5 gelatine leaves
250g caster sugar

1 carton double cream, to serve
1. Place the wine and berries in a bowl and allow to steep for half an hour.
2. Strain the wine into a saucepan and keep the raspberries to one side. Heat the wine with vanilla pod until nearly boiling and leave to steep on one side for 15 minutes.
3. Soak the gelatine leaves - which you can find in the supermarket these days - in cold water for about 5 minutes.
4. Remove the vanilla pod and reheat the wine stirring the sugar in until it dissolves; allow to boil if you want to lose the alcohol.
5. Add a third of the hot wine to the wrung-out gelatine leaves in a measuring jug and stir to dissolve, then add this mixture back into the rest of the wine and stir well. Strain into a large jug.
6. Place the raspberries, equally, into 6 flattish, clear glass serving bowls, and pour the strained wine over the top.
7. Allow to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours, though a day would be fine if you want to make this well ahead, and take out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving. Serve with some double cream in a jug, and let people pour this into the fragrant, tender, fruit-jewelled jelly as they eat.

22 comments:

Sandy said...

I have all her books Kelly-Jane. Can't wait to see what you will be making.

Nora B. said...

Hi Kelly-Jane, I love the name of the recipe. Imagine ordering that at a restaurant:
Waiter: "And what would you liek for dessert, ma'am?
Me: "Can I have a slut, please". LOL!

I've used many of Nigella's recipes and I love her cooking show. I used to have Forever Summer. Someone borrowed it and I don't know who and I never got it back. :-(

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

I have to admit that I haven't yet gotten into Nigella's books. No reason, just too many other things piled up to read and cook from. Slut red -- I love that!

Cookie baker Lynn said...

I don't have any of Nigella's books, so bring it on!

Elle said...

oooh raspberries are ripe right now and this looks so summery and fruity. Silly name, but lovely recipe.

Maggie said...

The name of the recipe has always made me smile! Really funny.
I've got all of Nigella's books, but take lots of interest in things people cook out of them.

Kajal@aapplemint said...

I think I'm probably the only person left on the planet with Nigella book. And yes this name did take me by surprise and amuse me at the same time.I'd order it just b'cuz of its name ! but that was the point wasn't it.A catchy name ??

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

What a hoot Kelly-Jane, it is a great name! I have several of her books.

Kate said...

Kelly-Jane you know i'm a massive Nigella fan. I've not made this yet though, it looks divine.

Brilynn said...

The name was a bit of a shock at first but somehow is completely fitting.

Truffle said...

Oh what a stunning dessert! Yours looks amazing.

Anonymous said...

ha ha! I love the name. I don't have a Nigella book but I am so tempted to get one.

Shaun said...

Kelly-Jane - I, too, have wondered about making these jellies. It is funny how some recipes taken on out of curiosity end up becoming favorites in the household. I have all of her books and love them all for different reasons. Each of her books have a specific, or at least well-identified, focus, unlike so many other celeb cooks these days.

Patricia Scarpin said...

That dessert has such a beautiful effect, Kelly-Jane!
The name is sort of crazy, but Nigella is sort of crazy too and we love her anyway! :)

Lis said...

I can see the flavors in this being completely scrumptious - although yes, the title did put me off a lil. hahahahaaa!

It is gorgeous and has me craving a glass of semi-sweet wine with a few raspberries dropped in.. *swoon*

xoxo

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Hi K-J,
I´m being very naughty as came inside in-laws house just for a few minutes. Logged on to my blog and of course have then clicked out. Bad move! Always loved the sound of this recipe but never made it. You asked if we have most of her books. I do, but looking forward to you cooking and blogging about her recipes!

We´re having a fantastic time. See you when we return.
Amanda x

Kirsten said...

Oh wow! Thank you for sharing! After I got past the name of the recipe, and the fact that almost anything gelled makes me shudder (Americans got WAYYY too into gelling in the 1950's, 60's and beyond and future generations are a bit gun shy of gelling) I cannot imagine a more divine summer dessert.

A must try!

Peabody said...

LOL...slut read...love it.

Pat said...

That looks like a nice lite dessert and very very pretty!!! Thanks!!!

Kelly-Jane said...

Sandy, :)

Nora, You'll have to get another one, that's so annoying when things don't come back home again.

Lydia, Nigella's really good, but I know what you mean so many good books out there...!

Lynn, Will do!

Elle, It is, it is!

Margaret :)

Kate, I think you are right, the catchy name gets you attention and the flavours and taste keep you making it.

Tanna, hee hee!

Glossy, give it a whirl!

Brilynn, When I very first saw it I thought she can't really have called it that can she, ha ha!

Truffle, Thank you.

Veron, she is really good.

Shaun, it was def curiosity that led me to this recipe initailly, but we really like them now :)

Patricia, a little crazy-ness is a good thing, (well I hope anyway!).

Lis, hahahahah!!

Amanda, Hi! so happy to hear you are enjoying yourselves - keep it up :)!

Kirsten, I have read about jello but we don't get it here!

Peabody, hee hee!

Pat, it is light, and yet the wine and berries fills you up!

KJxx

Cheryl said...

Is it bad the word "slut" in the title is what drew me to read this post.

Still looks great.

Anonymous said...

Oh how wonderful does this look? Again, another fabulous looking recipe!