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.
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.
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!