F rom Australian Gourmet Traveller, March 2012, p.95. Recipe provided by George Biron of Sunnybrae restaurant, south-west Victoria. UNTESTED as at 22.1.2013.
The Recipe
” ‘Syllabub is an old English dessert, it’s essentially wine and fruit whipped with cream,’ says Biron. ‘In this version I’ve included black pepper and balsamic vinegar, which are quite commonly used with strawberries in Italian recipes. The Italians love strawberries with balsamic vinegar, the spice accentuates the flavour of the strawberries.’ ”
Serves 6
- 300 gms strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 tsp strawberry liqueur (optional)
- 1 tbsp icing sugar, sieved
- 1 tsp aged balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
- 150 ml pouring cream
Red wine and pepper jelly:
- 500 ml pinot noir
- 150 gms strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 50 gms caster sugar
- 3 titanium strength gelatine leaves, softened in cold water for 5 minutes
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1. For red wine and pepper jelly, bring wine, strawberries and sugar just to the simmer in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar, then set aside to infuse (1 hour).
2. Remove the strawberries from the infusion and reserve. Strain the remaining liquid through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Squeeze excess water from the gelatine, and add gelatine to the pan. Stir to dissolve, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool. Pour into a deep 14 cm x 18 cm plastic container and refrigerate until almost set (about 45-60 mins). Stir in pepper and refrigerate until set (15-20 mins).
3. Pulse 150 gms strawberries and reserved wine-steeped strawberries in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add strawberry liqueur (if using), icing sugar, balsamic vinegar and lemon rind, and stir to combine. Add half the remaining strawberries, and stir to combine. Whisk cream in a separate bowl to soft peaks, then fold through strawberry mixture.
4. Break jelly into bite-sized pieces with a spoon, divide among six 300 ml glasses. Spoon strawberry cream over, top with remaining strawberries and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper and serve.
