Ruby Red Raspberries in Chardonnay Jelly
by Nigella. Featured in NIGELLA SUMMERIntroduction
This recipe has had a slight name change, but is the same dessert of dreams: 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 urgently emailed to me over two decades ago 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.
And please read the Additional Information section at the end of the recipe before proceeding.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
This recipe has had a slight name change, but is the same dessert of dreams: 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 urgently emailed to me over two decades ago 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.
And please read the Additional Information section at the end of the recipe before proceeding.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Serves: 6
- 1 x 750ml bottle good fruity chardonnay
- 300 grams raspberries
- 1 vanilla pod (split lengthwise)
- 16 grams gelatine leaves
- 250 grams caster sugar
- double cream (to serve)
- 1 x 750ml bottle good fruity chardonnay
- 2¼ cups raspberries
- 1 vanilla bean (split lengthwise)
- ½ ounce sheet gelatin (platinum grade)
- 1¼ cups superfine sugar
- heavy cream (to serve)
Method
- Place the wine and berries in a bowl and allow to steep for half an hour. Strain the wine into a saucepan and keep the raspberries to one side. Heat the wine with the vanilla pod until nearly boiling and leave to steep on one side for 15 minutes.
- Soak the gelatine leaves — which you can find in the supermarket these days — in cold water for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, after removing the vanilla pod, reheat the wine and stir in the sugar until it dissolves; allow to boil if you want to lose the alcohol.
- 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.
- Place the raspberries, equally, into six flattish, clear glass serving bowls, and pour the strained wine over the top.
- 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 some double cream in a jug, and let people pour this into the fragrant, tender, fruit-jewelled jelly as they eat.
- Place the wine and berries in a bowl and allow to steep for half an hour. Strain the wine into a saucepan and keep the raspberries to one side. Heat the wine with the vanilla bean until nearly boiling and leave to steep on one side for 15 minutes.
- Soak the sheet gelatin (platinum grade) — which you can find in the supermarket these days — in cold water for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, after removing the vanilla bean, reheat the wine and stir in the sugar until it dissolves; allow to boil if you want to lose the alcohol.
- Add a third of the hot wine to the wrung-out sheet gelatin (platinum grade) 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.
- Place the raspberries, equally, into six flattish, clear glass serving bowls, and pour the strained wine over the top.
- 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 some heavy cream in a jug, and let people pour this into the fragrant, tender, fruit-jewelled jelly as they eat.
Additional Information
If you are unable to find gelatine leaves, you can use powdered gelatine instead. For the UK, we recommend 3½ teaspoons unflavoured powdered gelatine, and for the US, 2¾ teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin. At step 2, put 3 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle over the gelatine. Let it stand for 5 minutes to hydrate — it will swell up and become slightly translucent. At step 3, put one-third of the hot wine mixture in a jug and whisk in the gelatine until dissolved, then continue with the recipe as directed.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Make up to 3 days ahead. Cover, making sure the covering does not touch the surface of the jelly, and refrigerate until needed. Leftovers will keep for a further 2 days, tightly covered in the fridge.
If you are unable to find gelatine leaves, you can use powdered gelatine instead. For the UK, we recommend 3½ teaspoons unflavoured powdered gelatine, and for the US, 2¾ teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin. At step 2, put 3 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle over the gelatine. Let it stand for 5 minutes to hydrate — it will swell up and become slightly translucent. At step 3, put one-third of the hot wine mixture in a jug and whisk in the gelatine until dissolved, then continue with the recipe as directed.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Make up to 3 days ahead. Cover, making sure the covering does not touch the surface of the jelly, and refrigerate until needed. Leftovers will keep for a further 2 days, tightly covered in the fridge.
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What 3 Others have said
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Posted by annie_a on 20th July 2024
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Posted by Katikins on 18th August 2019
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Posted by Penny Wilson on 9th July 2011
Show more commentsMy other half has made this his signature dessert (we preferred the old name). It’s so simple yet impressive & we always serve it in wine glasses or elegant flutes. Thank you.
I made this for a family party last year so the adults wouldn't feel left out in the jelly and ice-cream department. So much more than the sum of its parts, it was an unqualified success and as a bonus, extremely easy to make.
I was so relieved to find this recipe online. I lost my well-used paper version. We love this jelly and it's especially good for the summer, although you can obviously get raspberries all year round now. Thank goodness I could find it online!