Jelly with star quality
IN MY KITCHEN: Andrew Pern of the Star at Harome.
To make the jelly, combine bine the water and caster sugar. Boil for five minutes, remove from m heat, add the elderflower r heads and leave to infuse e for one hour. Pass the liquid through a fine sieve to remove flower heads and bring the liquid to the boil. Soak the gelatine until fully dissolved. Pour the jelly into the moulds and leave to set in the fridge. Before making the sponge, line a baking tray with parchment. Begin by whisking the eggs until they have doubled in size. Make a gin and tonic using gin (Hendrick’s is good), Fever Tree tonic with a splash of Belvoir Elderflower cordial (£3.15 for 50cl, Waitrose). Alternatively head to the floral, frothy, grapey flavours of Asti (£7.99, Marks and Spencer).
Whisk in the sugar, then fold in the flour, followed by the butter. Pour a thin layer stra straight into the baking tray and co cook for approximately 20 minu minutes at 180C/Gas Mark 4. L Leave to cool on a wire rac rack. Once cooled, cut in ha half; cover one half with str strawberry jam and place the other half on top. Cut into generous “fingers”. Dust heavi heavily with icing sugar. To ma make the custard, boil milk, cream, sug sugar and lemon balm to infuse infuse. Remove lemon balm and whisk the mixture into the eggs. Put back into the pan and gently cook until the custard will coat the back of a spoon. Allow to cool then just before serving, finely chop a few lemon balm leaves and add to the custard.
To serve, tip the jelly out of the mould and place at one end of a plate with a little row of strawberries and a sponge cake finger. Spoon a little lemon balm custard onto the plate pouring the remainder into a small jug. Garnish the plate with lemon balm or mint sprigs and dust with a little icing sugar. Serve immediately.