Apricot, Yellow Plum and White Wine Elderflower Jellies with Creme Anglaise

Recipe From What's For Lunch, Honey?

By Meeta K. Wolff

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 120g apricots, pitted, sliced and cut into pieces

• 120g mirabelle, pitted, sliced and cut into pieces

• Juice of 1/2 a lemon

• 6 sheets of gelatine

• 350ml white wine - a good Riesling is great here

• 100ml Elderflower cordial (see recipe below)

• 575ml whole milk

• 1 vanilla pod, split in half and seeds scraped out

• 6 egg yolks

• 2 tablespoons caster sugar

• 1 tablespoon cornflour

Method

1. To make the jellies, soak the gelatine sheets, one by one, in a bowl with plenty of water making sure they do not clump together. Leave for about 10 minutes to soften.

2. In the meantime pour the elderflower cordial and white wine into a medium-sized saucepan and warm over a medium heat. Do not let the mixture boil as it may affect the gelatine’s setting qualities.

3. Toss the stone fruit gently in the lemon juice to prevent them from browning, then divide the apricots and plums among four small serving dishes. Transfer the softened gelatine into the warmed cordial and wine, then stir until it has dissolved. It should disappear almost instantly. Pour into the dishes to cover the fruit, then refrigerate for about 3 hours, until lightly set.

4. While the jellies set make the custard sauce by pouring the milk into a heavy-bottomed pan with the vanilla pod and seeds on a gentle heat. Stir, bringing it to a very gentle simmer. Make sure this does not boil.

5. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the yolks, sugar and cornflour. Remove the vanilla pod from the hot milk and then pour it over the yolk and sugar mixture, stirring vigorously.

6. Turn the heat down to low and pour the custard back into a clean, dry pan. Stirring continuously, heat until it coats the back of your wooden spoon – the longer you cook it, the thicker it will get.

7. Pour into a glass jug and generously pour over the chilled jellies.

Notes:

• To make your own elderflower cordial put 2.5 kg sugar and 1.5 liters water into a large saucepan. Gently heat, without boiling, until the sugar has dissolved. Give it a stir every now and again. Pare the zest from 2 lemons using a potato peeler, then slice the lemons into rounds. Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the pan of syrup to the boil, then turn off the heat. Fill your sink with water and then give the flowers a gentle swish around to loosen any dirt. Gently shake the flowers and transfer to the syrup along with the lemons and zest, then stir well. Cover the pan and leave to infuse for 24 hrs.

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