fresh
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday November 26, 2009
Let ruby red raspberries add luscious flavour and a festive touch to your table this summer, says Sean Moran. What Raspberries, often referred to as brambles, belong to the rose family. Botanically, the hundreds of species, in shades of yellow, red and black, are not berries but €śdrupelets€ť, with each €śdrupe€ť containing a seed.Choose Berries should look velvety and plump. Check carefully for mould, which often hides in stem cavities €” one mouldy berry can ruin the flavour of a whole punnet. Never buy berries that are stained with the juice of any crushed berries.Store On a paper-lined tray at room temperature. Eat them the day you buy them or freeze on trays, transfer into plastic bags and re-freeze to prevent them solidifying together.Try Raspberry-infused vinegar drizzled over a duck salad, soft figs with raspberry cream or almond meringues sandwiched with raspberry jam. Raspberry marshmallows Sieve cup cornflour with cup icing sugar. Lightly oil a 30cm x 20cm shallow cake tray, then dust with the cornflour mix. Place 450g caster sugar, 1 tbsp liquid glucose and 200ml water in a heavy-based pan. Bring to boil and continue cooking over a high heat until it reaches 127C on a sugar thermometer. Meanwhile, soak 5 gelatine leaves in 150ml water and beat 2 large egg whites plus a pinch of salt with an electric whisk until stiff peaks form. When syrup is up to temperature, remove from heat and slide in softened gelatine with soaking water, then swirl the pan to thoroughly dissolve it. Continue beating whites while slowly pouring in syrup. Add 1 tsp rose water and continue whisking for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture is stiff. Dust 200g raspberries in cornflour mix. Spoon half the marshmallow mix into dusted tray, scatter with berries, then cover with remaining mix and smooth with a wet palette knife.Leave to set for an hour. Dust a work surface with cornflour mix. Loosen marshmallow with a knife, then turn it out with a persuasive tap. Cut into 6 even lengths, then cut each into 5 pieces. Roll in remaining cornflour mixture or toasted coconut shavings and leave to dry a little on a wire rack before serving. Makes 30. Raspberry spiders Put 500g raspberries in a saucepan and crush with a potato masher. Add 1 cup cold water and bring to boil.Skim surface scum, simmer for 15 minutes, remove from heat and pour through a fine strainer, pressing on fruit to drain all juices. Measure hot liquid, return to saucepan, then add two-thirds as much caster sugar as liquid. Bring to boil, remove from heat and leave to cool. Sit a scoop of vanilla ice-cream in 6 tall, frosted glasses. Divide syrup into each, top with sparkling wine and serve with elegant spoons. Serves 6.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
