FROZEN GRAPES & GRAPPA

GOOD-QUALITY CHOCOLATE & A SMILE

5 MINUTES PLUS FREEZING

My mate Mr David Loftus, my food photographer for a long time, obviously loves food as he spends half his life taking pictures of it. When we were in Italy shooting a few years back, he said I should freeze my grapes – which immediately made me think he was a raving heathen! God knows what my friends the grape-pickers would say. Why on earth would you get beautiful fresh grapes, then freeze them? But, of course, it was a fantastic idea and I admit I was completely wrong! When David brought the frozen grapes outside for us to eat, it was an incredibly hot and sweltering day and just what we needed to cool us down. And that’s the brilliant thing about this amazingly simple dessert, it’s super-refreshing, so it works a treat at any time of the year, particularly during the festive period when you may be in need of a pud that provides a cool contrast to the rich indulgence of all that wonderful Christmas food. To be honest, you could even serve up the grapes on their own as an interlude between courses, if you’re having a big feast. Over in Italy, David had managed to get hold of some nice sweet fragola grapes, which are a joy to eat but quite rare in supermarkets. A good muscat grape or any other grape variety that you enjoy eating would also work well. As soon as the grapes start to freeze, all the flesh and juice inside turns into a sort of ice-lolly-type sorbet, while the outside remains firm and beautifully frosted. For me, the best way to eat frozen grapes is after a meal, with a few bits of good-quality chocolate and a nice glass of grappa or Vin Santo. If, like I was, you are a bit sceptical about this dessert, please try it – it’s super-cool. Well done, Dave! ➤