Category: vegan
On Beans and Being
I’ve just arrived back home after nearly 5 weeks away on the east coast of Australia, teaching and I think a pot of simple beans are in order. This post on beans began some weeks ago, but is ending up somewhat differently to what I envisaged. It was to be a discussion on cooking beans, but now – well it’s more about being, how grounding a simple meal of beans can be and how they can remind you that simple is sometimes all we need. This is happening a lot for me lately – you will see it also reflected in the new book (due June, 2016) – elemental flavours, simple wholegrains and legumes, fundamental animal foods, simple vegetables, simple fruits – foods that are local, seasonal, ripe, and grown in great soil with great ethics. It’s the elemental that gets me, and it’s this elementality (yes it’s my made up word) that is the key. It connects you immediately to what is real and true, and what really matters in life – it takes us into our core, our heart and soul. I have been privileged in classes – especially the 4 day intensives – to see that when simple, good, organic and/or biodynamic food is around (and a lot of it) and when people are supported, something exceptional happens – they cry, they open, they connect to each other and to themselves. It is never ever just about the food, it’s always about the energy that food carries and the context in which we eat it. And good, real food ? Well that’s mighty powerful stuff, and it seems the simpler it is, the more powerful it is. There’s a lot of crazy food out there right now, and whilst it might suit the latest fad, or marketing campaign it doesn’t seem to suit many humans, or nourish on that deeper level.
But, sometimes we do have to know how to prepare that food, how to make it optimally digestible for our human tummies, especially that grounding bowl of simple beans. Beans are part of the legume family, and require a bit of attention. First up, a bit about how they grow – they are ridiculously easy to grow. In Australia, I often find organic beans impossible to cook properly (they are really old, and | or they are heat treated for entrance to Australia and thus never cook), so I try and grow what I can. This year I’ve added the Christmas Lima Bean and Bean Frost to my repertoire of Borlotti, they are easily available online from Diggers, or some wonderful person may share a seed with you (Belinda Jeffrey shared her Christmas Lima with me). But if you live in the U.S you will easily be able to access the glorious Rancho Gordo beans, which offer a huge range of young, heirloom beans.
I know you may have heard that you need to soak your beans, but when you look at the picture above you can see that when they are fresh of the bush, how moist they are (you can also see how lush the pod is, and how bright the colour when fresh, too). They don’t need soaking, as those sugars have not yet begun to convert to very long chain carbohydrates that are hard for us to digest. Once they begin to dry though, you will need to soak them. In lots of water to cover them by about 10cm, and for Borlotti, Frost and Christmas Lima, you will need to add an alkali – many people use a pinch of baking soda, but I prefer Kombu sea vegetable, with contributes minerals, and has a special enzyme that helps to break those long sugars down. A 2cm piece is plenty for 1/2 cup of beans, which when cooked will give you around 1 1/4 cups cooked beans. Leave the beans to soak for 12 – 24 hours in a warm place. Warmth is important as it will help encourage lacto fermentation, which will also help to make the bean more digestible, and help with getting rid of anti nutrients such as phytic acid. Then drain and rinse, add to a pot with fresh water or stock with the soaking kombu, or use a fresh piece. Using a bone stock will help to make them even more digestible. Cook until they are done. The time they take depends on how old they are – beans under 1 year tend to cook from 45 – 1 hour | older – around 1 – 2 hours |older still – much longer, around 2 1/2 – 3 hours. If they are not cooked by then, they most likely never will. They are ready when gentle pressure yields a creamy centre – no pebbly bits. Pebbly bits are not digestible. I hear you saying ‘but where can I get kombu, as it’s not available in Australia?’ Kombu has been banned in Australia due to high iodine levels (crazy as we are a low iodine country, but go figure) – I buy mine online here, but you can also use Wakame which is freely available, it’s good, but it’s not quite as effective. (just a caveat about kombu, it’s great, but use it in small amounts, don’t go nuts with it).
Even though the weather is warming up, I hope you find time for this simple pot of beans in a cooler moment. But, you could always simply cook them as I have just described and use them to add to a salad with a delicious dressing. It was so wonderful to meet you all people in classes, thank you for enriching my life. I’ll be back with some Christmas treats shortly…. x Jude
3 Simple and Easy Dishes To Have On Hand for Christmas
That’s my beautiful Christmas Fairy on our tree – we put it up yesterday. It was a gift from my daughter Nessie – she keeps trying to entice me with Christmas Angels/Fairies hoping to replace the one that sits atop the tree – the one she made when she was four. But nothing will ever replace that angel, but I have to say I adore this fairy. So, after goodness knows how many months, here I am. I imagine that you have given up on me, having had no blog for months. I wouldn’t blame you. For me, it’s been a very good year, and truly I have a lot to be grateful for. It’s a profound thing to see your dreams come to life – to see my books on the shelves (thrilled to see 2 of them sitting on the Book Depository top 10 for weeks), to meet you as I travelled around Australia to launch my new book Wholefood Baking – to be a part of so many peoples lives is a deeply privileged thing. To see my dream of training a new generation and skill base in Australia with the Whole and Natural Foods Chef Training Program realised – now in it’s third year with the program running from August through to November was deeply rewarding. But in all that, I can tell you honestly, I ran out of ability to give to the blog – right now I’m just a tad emotional, exhausted and wanting to nest. I want to bake and watch Season 4 Walking Dead, Season 4 Downton Abby, Season 6 Mad Men – you get the drift. Mostly, I think I want to be IN my home, IN the experience of my Christmas and with those I love. I want to be IN my life and let my day take me wherever without me worrying about the list of jobs to do, places to be or – the person I sometimes expect myself to be. I want to enjoy this view of my life where I now sit – I turned 60 a couple of weeks ago, and can I say it feels very good – for the first time I’m actually IN my life, the life I wanted, in all it’s glorious imperfections. Thank you for being a part of that.
But, we do have to eat. I don’t know about you, but life gets pretty busy and I like to have quick easy things on hand in the fridge with which to make a meal. I have 3 recipes for you today and next week when the children are home I have a wholesome gingerbread house for you. But before we get into the recipes, this is what you will find being cooked and eaten in my home over the Christmas season at some point – recipes from my books. What you see in my books is very much everyday food and how we do eat at home. From my new book Wholefood Baking – Trifle, Buche de Noel, Rustic Tarts of Seasonal Fruits, Puff Pastry mini pizzettes and Danish, Barley Wheat and Rosemary Crackers, Rugelach and Christmas Crescents. Yes I hear you – that’s all sweet stuff :) Savoury wise – I try to stock the fridge with good basics – home made mayonnaise (Wholefood for Children), the recipes you see here today, pesto, pate, organic nitrate free ham, home made chutney’s and my it pays to have pastry in the freezer (I like puff and shortcrust). Recipes I love from Coming Home to Eat, Wholefood for the Family (my second book) include Poached Chicken with Asian Flavours, Chicken and Bread Salad, Puff Pastry Tart with Roasted Vegetables and Pesto, Market Vegetable Enchilada’s, Japanese Ginger Fish Balls with a Sweet and Sour Sauce and Bok Choy, Little Savoury Chicken Cakes, Rice Paper Rolls with a Sesame Lime Dipping Sauce (it’s a fab sauce). From Wholefood – heal, nourish, delight (my first book) Chicken Fajita’s, Berry Nice Pancakes and Eggplant Parmigiana are big favourites. I haven’t even touched Wholefood for Children!!
I’ll be back next week with the Wholesome Gingerbread… x Jude
ARAME TAPENADE
Gluten Free Dairy Free
This is a recipe inspired by Lorna Sass, a fabulous American wholefood writer – it’s a great way to include mineral rich sea vegetables in your diet. Arame can be a strongly flavoured sea vegetable – using the robust flavour of olives helps to balance this out. Whilst Arame is rich in iron, it is wise to keep in mind that it is non – heme iron and not absorbed the same way as the heme iron in red meat. Adding some food rich in vitamin C (here lemon juice) helps you to absorb that non heme iron. This will keep for 2 weeks in a sealed, airtight jar in the fridge and just gets better. Use good quality olives and capers – for olives I like the Mt Zero Kalamata or their little green ones. If you’d like to add fresh rosemary or thyme to the tapenade that’s lovely also.
28gm Arame
1- 2 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup pitted olives
3 tablespoons capers – drained, or if packed in salt rinsed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or to taste
sea salt to taste – consider here your capers
Put the arame in a large bowl and pour enough boiling water on it to cover it by at least 5cm. Stir through and leave for 10 – 15 mins or until it is soft. Drain well.
Add all ingredients to a food processor and process to a rough pate. Taste and adjust – a lot depends on the quality of the olives and capers – add lemon juice and sea salt as desired.
BEETROOT AND GREEN LENTIL HOMMUS
Gluten Free Dairy Free
This is a recipe developed by one of the 2013 Whole and Natural Food Chef Training students – Camille Reid. It is incredibly delicious and easy. It’s best to use the classic ox blood beetroot for this dish as they will give the best colour. Store for up to 2 weeks in a clean, air tight container in the fridge. I also prefer to use hulled tahini, which has a milder flavour – many people think the unhulled tahini will have more calcium, but this is bound in the hull with oxalic acid and not bio available.
1/4 cup small French green lentils – in Australia I like the Mt Zero
2 teaspoons why or lemon juice
2 small – medium beetroot – washed, scrubbed and chopped into rough 5cm peices
1 cup vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons hulled tahini
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, with extra for drizzling on top as required
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Begin the night before by covering the lentils with water, adding the whey and leaving to soak overnight.
Drain the lentils and add to a medium size saucepan with the beetroot and stock. Simmer over a medium heat until the liquid is absorbed and the beetroot and lentils are cooked – about 13 or so minutes for the lentils and until a sharp knife can easily pierce the beetroot – about 20 minutes. Add extra stock if required. Leave to cool to room temperature.
Add the lentil and beetroot to a food processor with the remaining ingredients and blend until silky smooth. Taste and adjust flavour as required – more lemon, more salt etc.
HERBED LABNE BALLS
Gluten Free
Incredibly easy to make, great for giving this is a variation on the labne recipe here. 1 kg of Paris Creek Yoghurt will make about 10 balls. Make sure you fold the muslin over the labne, then place a plate on top. Then place a can or something heavy to put pressure on the yoghurt, this will give you a nice thick labne, easy for rolling into balls. Covered in oil like this, they will keep for at least 2 – 3 weeks in the fridge and make a wonderful gift. How to make these? Once the labne is ready, spoon it out and gently roll into small balls, then gently roll in finely chopped herbs – you need a lot, more than you think. As they roll and take on the herbs, they become easier to manipulate. I like rosemary, lemon thyme, chives, garlic chives, marjoram, oregano and parsley are all good – be careful with basil as it tends to oxidise very quickly – so instead if you have basil on hand, put it in the oil to flavour that instead. Gently place the balls into the jar and cover with extra virgin olive oil. Add a couple of cloves of peeled garlic (and that basil) to flavour it. When the labne balls are all used, the oil makes a wonderful dressing as the garlic and herbs infuse it with stunning flavour.
I MADE A BOOK !!!
INTRODUCING
WHOLEFOOD BAKING
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Then moving onto Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Tasmania
It actually was a book all along, not just an enormous amount of never ending work! But, it’s a work of love and I am so very, very thrilled with the end result. I’d love to change the way we consider sweetness in our lives and the whole idea of what wholesome baking actually is, and this is my contribution. This is going to be just a nice short blog, to introduce you to the latest member of the family – this is book baby number four, I tell my daughter she has books for siblings. :)
The book contains an extremely detailed discussion about baking – scones, biscuits, crackers, cakes for all occasions and pastry – all flours, all sweeteners, how to use them, what is healthy, what is not and how to use them. It contains a large amount of recipes and direction for intolerances – wheat free, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free etcetera. Most importantly it discusses conversion – how to change your wheat recipe to a wheat or gluten free option, how to change my spelt recipe to the wheat flour you have in your cupboard, and how to make your recipe dairy, egg or nut free etcetera.
It’s been an enormously busy past couple of weeks, with Thermomix classes here in the West, but I’m heading off very shortly for my own classes (you can find the program here), seminars (you can find them on my homepage here – click on the link for upcoming seminars) and Thermomix classes. I know that many of the Thermomix classes sold out as soon as they got up, but we are trying for more.
I’m beginning to pack my bags (trying to be organised), have got a party dress (just need to find some shoes) and would love for you to join me with a glass of champagne and delicious bites at the afternoon tea launches (invitations above). I will look forward to seeing you soon… x Jude
Pack A Little Snack
TOMATO AND BASIL BARLEY PIKeLETS
These have been getting a fairly good run in my kitchen of late, mostly because they are so quick to put together, are delicious and keep well. They also pack exceptionally well, and will welcome a host of added extras – goat cheese and pesto spread on top is a particularly good combination. They are a great morning tea/snack after my usual breakfast – eggs any way, with ghee and seasonal vegetables – right now that’s often zucchini, corn and kale. Coby and Zay helped me make those ones in the picture this morning – they are my neices children. Coby walked in the door and said “lets make muffins” – thinking this was too much to do (lazy on my part really) I suggested pikelets, no Coby wanted muffins, so I told him they were muffins :).
I’m a big fan of this kind of thing – in Australia we call it a pikelet, but more often than not in the U.S it will be called a drop scone. They’re so quick to wip up. I’ve used a barley flour and have a very big preference for the Four Leaf brand in Australia – it retains a good bit of bran and germ. Also in the bowl is wholemeal spelt flour and my preference is for Demeter Mills. If you give yourself a bit more planning time you can soak these overnight in the milk (see the recipe) and make the flour even more digestible. But, I love how easy spelt and barley are on the tummy, and the barley renders a low gluten end result.
Do give them a try, the barley gives them such a lovely earthy flavour. I like them served with lots of good butter. That’s it !!! Easy Peasy.
TOMATO AND BASIL BARLEY AND SPELT PIKELETS
I’ve gone down a dairy path in this recipe, but you can easily make these dairy free. If using an oat or soy milk (both would be a good choice) add 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar to it. Replace the butter with olive oil. And, at times I’ve not had an egg to use, so did the chia seed trick – 1 teaspoon ground chia seed + 45ml water, stir and leave to sit until gooey = 1 egg. They will be a little bit denser, but are fine. Store left overs in an air tight container in the fridge and heat before serving to soften them up if desired. OMG just thought how delicious drippings from organic, nitrate free bacon would be to fry these in !!! Stable and delicious, a most definite win win.
1 cup / 145 gm wholemeal spelt flour
1 cup / 110 gm barley flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
generous sprinkle of salt ( I used Herbamare)
generous grinding of black pepper
finely chopped tomato to taste
handful of fresh basil (or as much as you want)
optional grating of parmesan or pecorino cheese, but a soft goats cheese wouldn’t hurt either
1 egg
1/2 cup full cream, non homegenised milk
1/2 cup cultured buttermilk or yoghurt
30 gm unsalted butter, melted
extra butter or ghee, and extra virgin olive oil for frying
Add the flours, baking powder, salt and pepper to a mixing bowl and whisk through to evening distribute. Add the tomato, basil and cheese if using and gently toss through.
Add the egg to a small mixing bowl and beat together with the milk/cultured buttermilk/yoghurt and melted butter. Add to the dry ingredients and gently fold together until just combined.
Add enough ghee and a touch of olive oil to cover the base of the frypan well. This is important, don’t skimp or your pikelets will stick. When the fat is hot but not at all smoking drop 1 tablespoonful mixture into the pan – the fat should gently sizzle. Continue to cook at a medium heat – they should take about 4 – 5 minutes each side. If the heat is too high they will burn before the inside is cooked (these are whole grain remember), if it’s too low, the pikelet will be soggy. Turn and cook on the other side for 3 – 4 minutes. You will need to top up the fat between batches, the patties absorbs them as they cook and that’s fine. This is good fat you are using.
If soaking overnight, add the flours and salt to a bowl with the milk/s. There must be some acid in this – the yoghurt or cultured milk will do the trick, but if dairy free make sure you have the apple cider vinegar in there. Cover and soak out at room temperature overnight. If you’re worried it’s too dam hot, put it in the fridge. The next morning add all other ingredients – it won’t look as liquid, don’t worry about. Don’t add any more milk.
ICE CREAM
PRETTY IN PINK
I have 2 ice cream machines here – Mums, which is an early model electric, but you need to pack around the canister with ice and salt, and the Cuisinart which you just plug in and it refrigerates as it churns. Okay the Cuisinart is easier, but it doesn’t churn well. Don’t buy one. We bought one a couple of years back for the Whole and Natural Foods Chef Training Program and I thought it should at least get use other times during the year. Mum’s churn is so much sturdier – no plastic dodgy paddles that don’t actually move that well. But enough about that. I’ve been having a bit of ice cream binge – started no doubt by the attraction factor of making and putting in the freezer as far ahead of demand as you like – an ice cream cake for my niece on Boxing Day (30th birthday – make it ahead and freeze – ta da !). In my search for a recipe for strawberry ice cream, I went to Mum’s original book that came with the machine and it’s got something about it that I think you will find interesting and useful.
A key point in making ice creams is that the more fat the more creamy and less “icy” your end result will be. As a mixture with little fat (so perhaps lots of watery fruit) sits in the freezer, the frozen water molecules begin to link up and form large ice crystals. Fat molecules prevent these water molecules from linking up and thus it remains creamy. People do all sorts of things to try and get around making a lower fat ice cream – especially with very watery berries. Mum’s recipe uses gelatine powder dissolved in a little water which is then added to blended and strained strawberries, sugar and cream. Hey presto – add it to the machine and truly, it is the most delicious thing. Mum replaced the cream in her day with Evaporated milk (for a less rich end result), and I’ve replaced the cream with coconut milk for a dairy free end result. It’s delicious, but slightly more grainy. Right now I’ve got a mango and coconut milk one in the freezer. You will also find another version below (vegan, which uses Amasake). Be careful of the gelatine you use – you can read about the ones I like here on the jelly blog. But if you are looking for a way to include more gelatine in your diet (great for the bones and gut), then this is a mighty nice way to go. If you are culturing your cream with Kefir (instructions in Wholefood for Children), this is the most perfect place to use it – a delicious way to get those good bugs.
You’ll be wondering no doubt where the photo of the end result is – I forgot to do the photo bit and by the time I remembered, we had eaten it. You can see it up above, ready to go into the freezer – see how creamy it looks ? (this is made to the recipe below). So quick before strawberries and summer are gone – it’s a delicious and nourishing treat for this time of the year.
MUM’S STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM
The recipe for this originally comes from the book Old Fashioned Homemade Icecream, by Ann Creber. Decalon Books, 1979. This is my slightly tweaked version. In regard to how much sugar to make, I recommend tasting the mix (once made) and adjust to your taste. Remember – the mix should be slightly sweeter than you like as it will loose some of it’s sweetness once frozen. Should you wish to use coconut milk, consider coconut cream also – it will give it a smoother consistency. I’m partial to the Ayam brand of coconut milk and coconut cream. I’m not sure how much this makes, but it’s a fair bit and it keeps.
With regard to the gelatine – see the jelly blog for the low down on gelatine. If you are using mango, the measurement is in the actual edible fruit (so weigh it once the skin has been removed and flesh cut from the seed). A bit of lime zest is also delicious with the mango.
About 600 gm (no more) strawberries (or other berry / mango) – washed and green removed
1 1/2 teaspoons gelatine
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 – 3/4 cup golden castor sugar I like the Billingtons brand
1 1/2 cups cream (or, coconut milk, or coconut cream)
Dissolve the gelatine in hot water and set aside to cool.
Blend the strawberries and then press through a sieve into a bowl – discard the seeds that remain in the sieve.
Add the cooled gelatine mix, 1/2 cup sugar and cream to the strawberries and mix well. Taste and add more sugar as needed. Pour into the ice cream machine canister and churn as directed.
STRAWBERRY AMASAKE ICE CREAM
Amasake (Amazake) is a creamy, sweet fermented rice with a consistency similar to rice pudding. It’s traditionally made by inoculating cooked rice with Koji. It’s the amasake here that interferes with the ability of the water molecules to link up, but it’s still going to be a little more grainy than the one above. It’s great stuff and a must in a dairy free household. In Australia I prefer the Spiral brand. Go easy on the sweetening, as you are adding more with the cordial.
1 cup (which will be 1 packet Amasake
500 gm strawberries – washed and greens removed
2 – 4 tablespoons golden castor sugar or maple syrup
2 tablespoons of a lovely raspberry cordial (I would go the Belvoir)
Place the amasake into a shallow dish to freeze (it won’t set solid, just chill it up nicely).
Blend the strawberries and strain through a sieve into a bowl – discard the seeds that remain in the sieve.
Add the amasake, sweetener and cordial to taste – again, remember, it will need to be slightly sweeter than you want it as it will loose that once frozen. Whisk together well and pour into the ice cream machine canister and churn as directed.
IT’S JELLY !!
CHERRYLICOUS
Welcome to the new year. It’s been a quiet space from me I know – I had planned to stop before Christmas but not soon enough for my body it seems – my back went (a first for me, and a first I’d rather not have had), and then Christmas doings, comings and goings on, arrived at my doorstep – much to my delight. Since Christmas I have been – can I politely say – exhausted and very much in need of quiet, doing nothing and searching for the unraveling threads of my body and soul so I can begin to be able to knit them back together again. I thought I had done a good job of that knitting earlier in the year, but it seems not. In a sense it’s a clear space to see where I’ve been and where I want to go. But, I think I’ve begun to find those threads, so when we head out to our island paradise (mind you not everyone thinks Rottnest is an island paradise) next week I can begin to knit. I think that metaphorical knitting looks something like this: salty ocean water, ocean breezes, sitting with a good book and perhaps a cup of coffee (yup, I’m living dangerously here I know).
And, it’s been hot. Really hot for days on end. I mean horrible hot not just hot. Luckily I have a freezer full of berries (a basic rule – when something is in season, get lots at a good price, preserve it in as many ways possible – jam, bottle, freeze etc). In my desire for doing as little as possible, I opted for the freezing option. There were very few West Australian cherries this year, but this 1kg I found at my butcher the other day for $10.00. Yes, they were in the cool room since Christmas, so going cheap. Thank you very much. Perfect for jelly. Or pie. Or jam (with scones). I’ve been in a cherry and ice cream mood. They are both easy and lovely to eat when it’s hot and a pretty delicious way to include gelatine in the diet. Gelatine is such a good thing – soothing and healing to the gut, ensures that foods are more easily digested, great for bones to name but a few of it’s benefits. But, you have to be very fussy about the brand – I wouldn’t be touching the generic stuff in the supermarkets labelled ‘ from Australian and imported ingredients’. No way. If you are having bones, skin and cartilage, you want to know it’s come from animals that are healthy and have had respect paid to them. I use either of 2 options – Bernard Jensen or the Great Lakes Grass Pastured. I’ve come across organic leaf gelatine in my travels also, but really quite happy to use the slightly more old fashioned powdered gelatine.
I like to make jelly from scratch, and it’s a lot easier than it sounds. The commercial ones taste like the chemicals that flavour them – they don’t even bother to disguise it it seems. The so called ‘natural’ ones – not much better as far as I’m concerned. A jelly is simply a juice of some kind, sweetened to taste and set with gelatine. That’s it. You could also use agar and I’ll give you the recipe for both. Gelatine will give you a more sexy, wibble wobble, smooth and flexible end result, but it will melt in the heat and take hours to set. Agar will give you a boofy, clunky end result but set in a matter of 30 minutes or so, and hold up to bullying heat.
In the void of the nothing, I am confident I will find myself and my soul again but I also know some delicious food will help. The rest of those cherries are coming with me to Rottnest for a Cherry Pie for Body and Soul and Beignet are most certainly happening for breakfast one morning (french doughnuts). You could make a cherry pie too – it’s easy, and this is the pastry recipe I use. Just toss the cherries with a bit of cornstarch/flour/arrowroot to bind the juices (about 2 tablespoons for 1 kg of cherries), a bit of sweetness – taste the cherries first, and vanilla.
Mum gave me Bathers for Christmas and can I tell you they have cherries on them :) They’re called Cherrylicious. May your new year be cherrylicious in every possible way.
x Jude
BERRY JELLY
You can happily use frozen berries here – for mine, I used a mix of strawberries, logan and blackberries. Sweetness wise, I add just a touch of golden castor sugar, a semi refined cyrstallised sugar (Billingtons) as it allows the taste of the berries to come through. Rapadura, Coconut Palm etc muddy the flavour too much for me – be careful if you are using the moscato or fruity dessert wine, as they will add sweetness also. The moscato (I used Strawberry Champagne for Christmas) etc is not necessary – you can just use more berry juice to make up the amount required. If you’d like to add a 1/2 vanilla bean to the stewing berries, do so – just a little or the vanilla takes over too much.
400gm blackberries or other moist berries such as rasp, straw, young/logan berries or cherries + extra to set in the jelly – as you can see, I used cherries for that.
1 – 2 tablespoons golden caster sugar or to taste
1 tablespoon (20 ml tablespoon) high-quality powdered gelatine
125 ml /1/2 cup moscato or fruity dessert wine *** optional see above
Place the berries, the sugar (add a bit, then taste and add more if needed a little later, remembering you might be adding the moscato) and 435 ml (1 3/4 cups) of water in a saucepan. Stir through and bring to a gentle boil [over medium heat. Continue to simmer over low heat (not too rapid a boil or you will evaporate off too much liquid) for 40 -50 minutes, I often put a lid on it to be sure.
Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing ever so lightly on the solids to extract as much juice as possible (if you press too hard the liquid won’t be as clear and sparkly). You should have 500ml (2 cups) of liquid; if have less, you will need to make this up with water; if you have more, set the excess aside for another use. Return the 500ml of liquid to the pan and bring to the boil. Immediately turn off the heat, sprinkle the gelatine over the juice and whisk through for about 1 minute or until it is well dissolved. Add the moscato and stir through. Place your extra berries (as many as you want) in the bowl, and pour the jelly over. Cool before placing in the fridge to set overnight.
MAKING THE JELLY WITH AGAR:
Replace the gelatine with 1 1/4 teaspoons agar powder and 1 teaspoon kudzu (kuzu).
Place the 500ml of strained berry juice in a saucepan and whisk in the agar. Return the heat and bring to a gentle simmer, whisking frequently because as the agar dissolves it likes to the bottom and stick. Gently simmer for 6 minutes from the time it comes to the boil, whisking frequently.
Meanwhile, combine the kudzu with 1 tablespoon of the moscato and mix to a smooth slurry.
When the agar mixture is ready, remove from the heat and whisk in the kudzu mixture. Return to the heat and bring to the boil, whisking continuously. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining moscato.
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