Tim Dover, chef proprietor at The Roost in Bridge of Earn, uses clementines to create a show-stopping jelly dessert
As autumn draws to close and we settle in for the winter, we also welcome a whole host of new seasonal ingredients to our dinner table.
We adopt a completely different style of cookery replacing quick salads and pasta dishes for the longer-to-prepare heartier soups and stews, with many of us batch cooking for the cold weeks ahead.
The last of the summer’s berries have been frozen or preserved and we now welcome the likes of pears, apples, passion fruit and clementine to our winter fruit bowls. Clementines are a particular favourite fruit of mine and feature annually on our menu at the Roost.
A mixture of a mandarin and a sweet orange, clementines are available from around now until February. Although supermarkets have become more organically conscious, the best way to ensure you are getting the freshest of fresh is to head down to a farmers’ market.
Choose clementines that are firm or only slightly soft and feel heavy for their size. Steer clear of any that have puffy or wrinkled skin, which indicates that they are overripe. Clementines are also a vitamin C powerhouse, with one small fruit providing 40% of your daily needs.
These vitamins perform many functions to keep your body working optimally, including helping prevent anaemia and promoting a healthy metabolism. With Christmas in mind, why not have a go at making this easy to prepare three-layer clementine jelly dessert?
With a pomegranate and Prosecco jelly topping, sweet clementine centre and creamy panna cotta base, this eye-catching centrepiece combines three delicious desserts into one fabulous festive pudding.
To serve 10, you’ll need sunflower oil for greasing; for the Prosecco layer: 5 gelatine leaves; 2 tbsp caster sugar; 430ml Prosecco; 2 clementines; 40g pomegranate seeds.
For the clementine layer: 6 gelatine leaves; 3 tbsp caster sugar; 645ml clementine juice (freshly squeezed).
For the panna cotta layer: 4½ gelatine leaves; 225ml semi-skimmed milk; 600ml double cream; 90g caster sugar; ½ vanilla pod, seeds scraped.
Lightly grease a 2l bundt tin or jelly mould with the oil. Begin with the Prosecco layer. Put the gelatine in a bowl of cold water to soak for 5 mins.
Meanwhile, put 140ml water and the sugar in a small pan over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Squeeze the water from the gelatine, then stir into the sugar syrup.
Remove from the heat, set aside for 10 mins to cool, then mix with the Prosecco. Pour into the tin and chill for 1 hr.
Use a serrated knife to peel and remove the pith from the clementine’s, then slice into 1cm rounds. Push the pomegranate seeds and clementine slices into the jelly. Chill for 4 hrs before starting the next layer.
For the clementine layer, soak the gelatine and make a syrup as above, using the clementine juice instead of Prosecco. Carefully pour the mixture over the chilled Prosecco layer. Chill for 4 hrs before starting the next layer.
For the panna cotta layer, soak the gelatine as above. Put the milk, cream, sugar and vanilla seeds in a pan over a low-medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat.
Squeeze the water from the gelatine and stir through the cream mixture until combined. Leave to cool for 30 mins, then pour over the clementine layer and chill for 4 hrs, or overnight.
Once set, dip the tin in lukewarm water for 5-10 secs to loosen. Gently turn out on to a serving plate. Chill until ready to serve. Store, covered, in the fridge for up to three days.
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