Dessert Wine Gelees With Citrus Fruit Recipes

Steps:

• Coat an 8-cup gelatin mold with cooking spray; set aside. If using fresh pineapple juice, bring it to a boil in a medium saucepan; gently boil 5 minutes, skimming foam from top. Pour through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup (you should have about 3 cups juice). Return to saucepan (if using canned pineapple juice, pour it into pan).
• Add kirsch and sugar to pan with pineapple juice; whisk. Sprinkle with gelatin, and let stand 1 minute.
• Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar and gelatin have dissolved, about 2 minutes. Pour through fine sieve into a large bowl. Stir in wine and lime juice. Pour into prepared mold. Refrigerate overnight (up to 3 days).
• To unmold, dip mold into hot water for 5 to 8 seconds. Invert gelatin onto a platter or cake stand.

Steps:

• To make the gelée, into a large bowl, pour 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the water. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the water and allow it to soften and swell for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, warm the remaining 1/2 cup (125 ml) water with the 1 cup (200 g) sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
• Pour the warm sugar syrup over the gelatin and stir until the gelatin completely dissolves. Add the Champagne or other sparkling wine (it will foam up; hence the large bowl) and the lime juice. Taste and add additional lime juice, if desired. Cover and refrigerate until jelled, at least 6 hours.
• To prepare the fruits, slice and seed the kumquats. In a small saucepan, warm the 2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar and 1/2 cup (125 ml) water, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and add the kumquats. Let them soak in the sugar syrup for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, peel, section, and seed the grapefruits and oranges.
• To assemble, spoon some of the chilled gelée into 6 wine glasses or goblets. Add a few sections of fruit and a few strips of citrus peel. Spoon in more gelée. Continue to layer in the fruit, citrus peel, and gelée until each glass is full. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.
• The gelée mixture will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Assemble the dessert the day of serving.
• Feel free to vary the fruit according to what's in season. In the summer, slightly sweetened peaches or nectarines are perfect, along with a few types of berries tossed in for good measure and color.
• If you're in a bit of a rush, you can speed up the jelling. Divide the still-liquid gelée mixture among 6 goblets or wine glasses and chill for a couple of hours until firm. When ready to serve, top each with a mixture of the fruits and citrus peel.

Steps:

• Make gelée:
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften. Cook over low heat, stirring, until gelatin is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon passion-fruit nectar at a time until gelatin mixture is cool, then whisk in remaining nectar.
• Transfer to a metal bowl and set bowl into a larger bowl half-filled with ice and cold water. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until gelée is consistency of raw egg white, 15 to 25 minutes.
• Put egg carton in a shallow baking pan and arrange glasses in carton, then tilt glasses to a 45-degree angle. Divide gelée among glasses. Carefully transfer pan with glasses to refrigerator and chill until gelée is set, at least 1 hour.
• Make cream when gelée has set:
• Pulse basil, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a food processor until finely chopped, then transfer to a bowl and add cream, stirring just until sugar is dissolved.
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften. Cook over low heat, stirring, until gelatin is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon basil cream at a time until gelatin mixture is cool, then whisk in remaining cream. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl, pressing hard on solids and then discarding them.
• Set bowl in a larger bowl half-filled with ice and cold water and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cream is consistency of raw egg white, 15 to 25 minutes.
• Holding 1 glass of gelée at a 45-degree angle, slowly fill glass with basil cream, gradually righting glass as filled. Fill remaining glasses in same manner. Chill, covered, until set, at least 1 hour.