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Primrose and Champagne Jelly

Primrose and Champagne Jelly

This is an Edwardian dish, which I made, somewhat sceptically I have to admit, for the television series, Treats from the Edwardian Country House. It turned out to be a delicious, adult concoction. It’s only fair to say that the primroses don’t really contribute to the flavour of this jelly, which is really all about the champagne and citrus fruits. Still, the flowers make for a stunning visual treat, and seem to me to stimulate sensations of sap rising, so why not indulge?
Pick primroses from your garden (or someone else’s!) but not from the wild, which is technically illegal.

 

Ingredients:

Serves 6
12 gelatine leaves
125g caster sugar
500ml champagne (two-thirds of a bottle)
175ml sherry
250ml water
grated zest and juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon
2 egg whites (plus the shells)
primrose flowers


Put the gelatine leaves to soak in a shallow dish of water for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put the caster sugar, champagne, sherry, water and orange and lemon zest and juice in a large saucepan. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the soaked gelatine and stir to dissolve that too. Lightly whisk the egg whites, crush the shells and add the whites and shells to the pan. Stir occasionally until the liquid is very frothy and comes almost to the boil. Remove from the heat and strain through a thoroughly wetted cotton cloth or jelly bag into a bowl. (The egg white and shell treatment is not essential but it will make the jelly crystal clear.)

Pour about a quarter of the jelly into a suitably dashing jelly mould, about 1 litre in capacity. Place in the fridge until lightly set. Arrange a ring of primrose flowers, open petals down, on the surface of the jelly, pressing lightly so they stick to the tacky surface. Carefully pour over the next quarter of the unset jelly and put the mould back into the fridge. Continue in this way, creating 2 or 3 rings of primroses set into the jelly.

To unmould the jelly, dip the mould briefly in hot water and use the tip of your finger to judge when the jelly is coming away from the sides. Place your chosen serving dish over the top, flip it over with a little shake and lift off the mould. Easier said than done, I know. I wish you luck!

You could serve the jelly with a splash of freshly popped champagne poured over the top.