The Connaught Trifle
What is Christmas feasting without a good home-made trifle? This recipe is based on one traditionally associated with the Connaught Hotel. Ideally you need to have a home-made Swiss roll sponge, but to save time I suggest you use Savoyardi biscuits (used for Tiramisu), which can be bought from good delis. Also, we would use fresh redcurrant juice for the jelly, but a red berry purée would be a good substitute.
- Ingredients (serves 6 to 8)
- 500 raspberries or strawberries, hulled
- 3 tbsp redcurrant jelly
- 4 leaves gelatine or 1 sachet gelatine crystals
- 4 free-range egg yolks
- 40g caster sugar plus
- 1 tbsp extra
- 1½ tsp flour
- 1 vanilla pod
- 568ml pot whipping cream
- 1 large home-made Swiss roll or 18-24 Savoyardi biscuits
- 12 Amaretti biscuits or 75g ratafia biscuits, crushed
- 180ml Valdespino Cream or Harvey's Bristol Cream
- Unsalted chopped pistachios, to serve
- Method
- Set aside half of the fruits. Purée the rest and reserve. Melt the redcurrant jelly with a little water, mix with the purée and make up to 500ml with water.
- Soften the leaves of gelatine in cold water to cover then drain and squeeze dry. Or if using gelatine crystals, sprinkle on to 2 tablespoons cold water and allow to sponge.
- Heat the berry liquid until boiling. Remove from the heat and slip in the gelatine leaves or sponged crystals. Stir until dissolved. Cool, then strain into a shallow dish and chill until set.
- Make the custard. Whisk the egg yolks with the 40g sugar and the flour until pale and creamy. Slit the vanilla pod in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a sharp knife. Scald half the cream to the point of boiling. Stir in the vanilla seeds then beat into the yolks. Return the mixture to the pan and stir over a very low heat for about a minute until thickened. Remove and cool.
- Thinly slice the Swiss roll or break up the Savoyardi biscuits. Place in the base of a pretty glass bowl and scatter over the Amaretti crumbs.
- When the jelly is set, chop it roughly. Spoon on top of the sherry-soaked sponge along with most of the berries. Cover with the custard and chill.
- Whip the remaining cream with the extra tablespoon of sugar. Dollop on top of the custard. Decorate with the pistachios and the last of the berries. "Et voilà!" says our pastry chef Camille.
Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/gordon_ramsay/article827433.ece
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