Eating this will make you feel like a child all over again; soft, creamy and full of fresh strawberries. Choose a metal mould to set the jelly in as they are so much easier to turn out than glass or china ones.
Serves 4-6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Chilling time: 4 hours
You will need:
- 600g/1lb 6oz strawberries (for juice)
- 350g/12oz small strawberries (for the jelly)
- 120g/4 ½ oz caster sugar
- 5 sheets of gelatin (approx measuring 7.5 x 11cm)
- fine kitchen muslin
- 300ml/ ½ pt full fat milk
- 100ml/3 ½ fl oz double cream
- 1.2 litre/2pt jelly mould
Method:
- Hull 600g/1lb 6oz of strawberries.
- Tip the fruit and sugar into a pan adding a small splash of water (two tablespoons) and cook the fruit until totally soft and collapsed.
- This will take about 20 minutes on a medium heat.
- Blitz the berries and return them to the pan.
- Bring the mixture up to the faintest wobbling simmer but not hotter.
- In a separate bowl, snap the gelatin into shards and cover it with only just enough warm water to soak it.
- Double up some of the muslin in a sieve, over a bowl.
- Pour the contents of the saucepan slowly into the lined sieve and allow the fruit liquid to drip through of its own accord, if the latter half of the liquid stops dripping through, distress the pulp gently with a spoon to get it going again.
- Take the gelatin out of the water and drop it in to the fruit syrup whilst it is still warm.
- Pull the gelatin apart as you add it, this will help to eradicate lumps.
- Whisk until all the gelatin has totally dissolved and add the milk and cream.
- Then pour ½ of the liquid into the mould.
- Hull the remaining strawberries then drop in 175g/6oz of whole strawberries straight into the mould and cover the top with cling film.
- Allow the jelly to set in the fridge for at least two hours.
- The remaining jelly may have to be warmed ever so slightly if it has started to firm up.
- Pour on top of the set jelly adding the rest of the strawberries. Leave until totally set.
- Turn out the jelly by briefly dipping the mould into a bowl of hot water, just to loosen the sides.
- Then holding a serving plate on top of the mould, quickly, but delicately flip it over.
- Remove mould and serve.
