BLOOD ORANGE & APEROL JELLIES

SERVES 6

You need something ‘clean’ and uncluttered after a main course. Even though it’s winter, a sorbet would also be good, or just finish with a big bowl of grapes or blood oranges. I especially like the bitterness of this jelly. Bitterness is a good full stop after richness.

FOR THE JELLIES

250ml Aperol

400ml prosecco

150ml freshly squeezed blood orange juice,

plus 3 broad strips of the zest

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

9 small gelatine leaves, (about 18g)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

5 small blood oranges, or sweet oranges, segmented

FOR THE CREAM icing sugar, to taste ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 150g mascarpone

Put the Aperol, prosecco, orange juice, zest and sugar in a saucepan and bring to just below the boil, stirring occasionally to help the sugar dissolve. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak the gelatine in a small bowl of cold water for about 3 minutes to soften.

Strain the boozy mixture into a jug. Gently squeeze any excess water out of the softened gelatine and stir it into the warm (not hot or boiling) liquid until it dissolves. Add the lemon juice.

Divide one-third of the liquid among 6 glasses. Leave to cool, then refrigerate the jellies and allow them to set. Once they have a fairly firm surface, divide half the orange segments among the glasses and gently reheat the remaining jelly mixture to render it liquid once more (you should always be able to put your finger into it; too much heat will destroy the gelatine’s setting properties). Leave to cool a little and top up the glasses evenly with half the liquid. Refrigerate to set.

Repeat with the remaining segments and liquid jelly, then leave for 4 hours, or as long as it takes to set.

Beat the icing sugar and vanilla into the mascarpone. Top each jelly with a swirl of the mascarpone cream, or offer it on the side.