Heston Blumenthal
from Further Adventures in Search of Perfection
Serves 6
Preparation time over 2 hours
Cooking time over 2 hours
Ingredients
For the syllabub mixture
35g/1¼oz dry cider
25g/1oz vermouth
20g/¾oz unrefined caster sugar
½ unwaxed lemon, zest and juice
125g/4½oz Bodega Tradición Palo Cortado sherry
4g/¼oz leaf gelatine
6-8 ladies' fingers sponges
12 amaretti biscuits
24 small/medium strawberries, hulled
20g/¾oz fructose
For the strawberry juice and syrup
1½kg/3lb 5oz strawberries, hulled, quartered
200g/7oz fructose
For the strawberry jelly
reserved strawberry juice
5g/¼oz leaf gelatine
25g/1oz orange blossom water
½ lemon, juice only
reserved trifle glasses
For the olive purée
150g/5¼oz pitted black olives (Kalamata olives work well)
45g/1½oz icing sugar
For the saffron custard
100g/3½oz whole milk
200g/7oz double cream
½ packet saffron (about ¼g)
100g/3½oz (about 6) free-range egg yolks
55g/2oz caster sugar
2g/¼oz leaf gelatine, soaked in cold water
For the puff pastry rounds
200g/7oz icing sugar, sifted
375g/13¼oz puff pastry
For the caraway biscuits
150g/5¼oz unsalted butter
100g/3½oz unrefined caster sugar
50g/1¾oz ground almonds
½ tsp salt
1½g/¼oz baking powder
125g/4½oz plain flour
1 vanilla pod, seeds only
10g/½oz caraway seeds, lightly toasted
45g/1½oz (about 3) free-range egg yolks
For the mascarpone cream
2 free-range egg yolks
20g/¾oz unrefined caster sugar
50g/1¾oz Bodega Tradición Palo Cortado sherry
8g/¼oz tapioca starch (available from Asian grocers)
125g/4½oz full-fat mascarpone cheese
100g/3½oz whipping cream, whisked to soft peaks, chilled
For the comfits
500g/1lb 2oz sugar
200g/7oz water
3g/¼oz natural green food colouring
3g/¼oz natural red food colouring
3g/¼oz natural yellow food colouring
40g/1½oz caraway seeds, toasted
40g/1½oz fennel seeds, toasted
40g/1½oz coriander seeds, toasted
For the rose-petal confetti
2 organic red roses
50g/1¾oz free-range egg whites
25g/1oz gum arabic (available from Holland and
Barrett)
2½g/¼oz rosewater
sugar, to coat
For the candied angelica
200g/7oz fresh angelica twigs (about 8 twigs 6cm long)
200g/7oz sugar
200g/7oz water
For the candied almonds
50g/1¾oz Spanish Marcona almonds, cut into quarters
¼ tsp table salt
10g/½oz unrefined caster sugar
For the final assembly
reserved dessert glasses
reserved olive purée
reserved strawberry syrup
reserved caraway biscuits
reserved saffron custard
reserved puff pastry rounds
reserved mascarpone cream
reserved candied angelica
reserved comfits
reserved rose-petal confetti
reserved candied almonds
popping candy
orange blossom water, in an atomiser
To serve
glass Pedro Ximénez sherry
Method
You will need the following special equipment: piping bag, food processor or mixer, digital probe, large tin can with a hole drilled in the base and the drill bit still attached using a washer and a nut, muslin-lined bowl, hand-held blender, atomiser.
MAKING THE SYLLABUB MIXTURE
1. Put the cider, vermouth and sugar in a pan and bring to the boil. Allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and sherry and stir together.
3. Weigh 150g/5¼oz of the liquid into a small pan and add the gelatine. When the leaves have softened completely (bloomed), place the pan on the hob and heat gently to dissolve them.
4. Place the sponges and biscuits in a bowl. Pour the warm gelatine mixture over them and allow to soak in for ten minutes.
5. Meanwhile, quarter six of the strawberries and cut the remaining ones in half. Mix the strawberries with the fructose and allow to macerate for 20 minutes.
6. Gently stir the soaked sponges and biscuits together and divide among six dessert glasses that are 8cm/3¼in in diameter and 10cm/4in deep. Press the mixture down with the back of a spoon to create an even layer 1cm/½in thick.
7. Place the cut sides of the halved strawberries in a ring against the wall of the glass, pressing them firmly in place and packing them together tightly.
8. Take the pointed end of each quartered strawberry and press it into the soft cake layer so that it stands upright.
9. Place the glasses in the fridge for at least one hour to allow the gelatine to set.
MAKING THE STRAWBERRY JUICE AND SYRUP
1. Place the strawberries and fructose in a heat-resistant bowl and cover tightly with cling film.
2. Create a bain-marie by filling a medium pan one-third full with water. Bring to a simmer and place the covered bowl of strawberries over the pan without actually touching the water. Steam for four hours, checking the water regularly and topping up if necessary.
3. Remove the bowl and allow to cool completely with the cling film still intact.
4. Transfer the strawberry mixture to a muslin-lined bowl. Tie the corners together to create a bag and hang this above the bowl.
5. When the bag has stopped dripping, transfer the juice to a pan and reduce over medium heat until you have 500g/1lb 1½oz of liquid.
6. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
7. Reserve one half for use in the strawberry jelly. Return the other half to a small saucepan and reduce to a thick syrup. Leave to cool.
MAKING THE STRAWBERRY JELLY
1. Combine the strawberry juice and gelatine in a pan. When the gelatine has completely softened, place the pan over a medium heat, bring to a simmer and dissolve the gelatine.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and add the orange blossom water and lemon juice. Allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Remove the trifle glasses from the fridge. Transfer the cooled strawberry juice to a measuring container with a spout and divide the liquid between the six glasses. It should come halfway up the sides of the strawberries.
4. Place the glasses on a tray and return to the fridge so that the gelatine can set.
MAKING THE OLIVE PURÉE
1. Combine the olives and icing sugar in a food processor and blend to a smooth purée, scraping the bowl regularly.
2. Transfer the purée to a piping bag and reserve in the fridge.
MAKING THE SAFFRON CUSTARD
1. Put the milk, cream and saffron in a pan and bring to the boil, watching that the mixture does not boil over, and simmer for four minutes. Remove from the heat.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a mixing bowl, then slowly whisk in the saffron cream. Return this mixture to the pan.
3. Heat over low temperature, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 75C/165F. Hold the mixture at this temperature for two minutes, using a digital probe to check the temperature.
4. Stir in the gelatine and quickly cool over a bowl of ice.
5. Transfer to a storage container and cover with cling film directly touching the custard to prevent a skin forming. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
MAKING THE PUFF PASTRY ROUNDS
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Dust a work surface with a generous handful of the icing sugar and place the puff pastry on it.
3. Scatter more of the icing sugar on top of the pastry and roll it out as thinly as possible while working the icing sugar into the dough. As you work, move the pastry around in quarter turns and add more icing sugar as necessary to prevent it sticking. It should eventually measure 20cm/8in x 35cm/14in.
4. Line a baking sheet with baking paper, then place the rolled-out pastry on it. Cover with another sheet of baking paper and one or two baking sheets to weigh down the pastry and prevent it from rising.
5. Place in the oven for ten minutes. Check to make sure it has browned evenly. If not, return to the oven for a few more minutes.
6. When done, remove from the oven and lift off the coverings. While the pastry is still warm, use an 8cm/3¼in cutter to cut out six circles. Allow to cool and reserve for the final assembly.
MAKING THE CARAWAY BISCUITS
1. Put the butter and sugar in a food mixer and cream together for five minutes.
2. Add all the dry ingredients, including the vanilla seeds and caraway seeds, and continue to mix until incorporated thoroughly.
3. Add the egg yolks one at a time until incorporated and a dough forms.
4. Remove the dough and wrap in cling film, then chill in the fridge for at least one hour.
5. Cut out a piece of baking paper the same size as your baking sheet and place on a work surface. Sit the dough on the baking paper and cover with another sheet of baking paper.
6. Roll the dough out to a thickness of 1mm. Place in the freezer until completely chilled through.
7. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
8. Remove the top sheet of parchment from the chilled dough and place in the oven for ten minutes, or until golden-brown.
9. Remove from the oven and immediately cut out 5cm/2in circles from the cooked dough, using a pastry cutter.
10. Allow to cool completely and reserve the biscuits for the final assembly.
MAKING THE MASCARPONE CREAM
1. Combine the egg yolks and sugar in a small mixing bowl using a hand-held blender.
2. Place the sherry and tapioca starch in a saucepan over a medium heat and whisk constantly for 2-3 minutes.
3. Pour the sherry mixture into the yolks while mixing with the hand-held blender until fully incorporated.
4. Add the mascarpone to the bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.
5. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone, then cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.
6. Transfer the cream mixture to a piping bag with a medium straight tip and return to the fridge.
MAKING THE COMFITS
1. Place the sugar and water in a pan and bring to the boil. Using a digital probe, boil the syrup until it reaches 108C/226F.
2. Remove the syrup from the heat and divide equally among three small bowls.
3. Add one of the food colourings to each of the bowls and stir to incorporate.
4. Place the caraway seeds in a can attached to a drill and turn it on at a low speed. Use a piece of tape to hold down the trigger and keep the drill in constant motion.
5. Begin to add the green syrup to the seeds about a tablespoonful at a time while pointing a hairdryer set on a medium heat into the can at all times. As the syrup begins to dry and harden around the seeds, add more syrup. If the seeds begin to clump together, turn the drill off then break them up with your fingers and add a bit of icing sugar.
6. Once the caraways seeds are coated with a shell of the syrup (about 30 minutes), remove them and repeat the process with the other seeds. Use the yellow syrup for the fennel and the red for the coriander.
MAKING THE ROSE-PETAL CONFETTI
1. Gently remove the petals from the roses, discarding any that are damaged.
2. Place the egg white, gum arabic and rosewater in a bowl and mix together using a hand-held blender.
3. Wearing gloves, coat each of the petals with a thin, even layer of the egg white mixture.
4. Mix the rose petals in a bowl of sugar one at a time to coat evenly. Place on a sheet of baking paper as you finish them.
5. Before the petals have a chance to dry completely, use a hole punch to create confetti from them. Allow this to dry completely before using in the final assembly.
MAKING THE CANDIED ANGELICA
1. Clean the angelica twigs and use a small knife to peel away any fibrous strings as you would on a stick of celery.
2. Quickly blanch the twigs in boiling water and plunge into an ice bath.
3. Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat until the mixture reaches 106C/223F.
4. Place the angelica twigs in this syrup and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
5. For the final presentation remove the twigs from the syrup and slice into 30 sticks about 1½cm/7¾in long.
PREPARING THE CANDIED ALMONDS
1. Place a sauté pan over a medium heat and add the almonds, stirring continuously until lightly roasted.
2. Sprinkle in first the salt, then the sugar, and stir constantly as they become a caramel and coat the nuts.
3. Tip the almonds on to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cool to room temperature.
ASSEMBLING THE FINISHED TRIFLES
1. Remove the dessert glasses from the fridge and pipe a dollop of olive purée in the centre of each one. Using the back of a spoon, make an indentation in the purée and cover with an even coating of the strawberry syrup.
2. Place a caraway biscuit on top of the purée and press down gently to straighten the layers.
3. Spoon in a layer of the saffron custard about 1½cm/7¾in thick, and tap the glasses gently on the work surface to flatten the custard.
4. Place a round of puff pastry on top of the custard, again pressing down gently.
5. Pipe the mascarpone cream up to the rim of the glass by making individual dollops.
6. Garnish the cream with five pieces of angelica per portion, a sprinkling of the comfits, the rose-petal confetti, pieces of the candied almond, and a little popping candy.
7. Spray the tops of the trifle with a few sprays of the orange blossom water. This can also be sprayed lightly in the room as the trifle is served.
8. Serve the trifles with a glass of Pedro Ximénez sherry.
Sherry Trifle
Re: Sherry Trifle
Originally Posted by headsortails
Good ole heston
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