Port and Claret Jellies

All that's involved here is a quick-dissolving packet jelly and a generous amount of port and claret. For this reason it is strictly an adult jelly, so I'm afraid drivers will have to have something else.

Serves 4

Port and Claret Jellies

Ingredients
3 fl oz (75 ml) port
7 fl oz (200 ml) claret
zest and juice ½ orange
about 6 fl oz (175 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
1 blade mace
small piece fresh root ginger, peeled
1 x 5 oz (142 g) pack orange jelly
For the frosted grapes:
4 small clusters grapes
1 egg white, lightly beaten
4 heaped teaspoons caster sugar
Equipment
You will also need 4 stemmed glasses, each with a capacity of 6 fl oz (175 ml).

Method

First, using a potato peeler, pare off the outer zest of the orange, then place it in a saucepan with the spices, port and claret. Turn on the heat to medium and let the whole thing gradually heat up, slowly allowing the spices to impart their flavours, but don't let it come to the boil. As soon as it looks near boiling, remove the pan from the heat and leave the whole thing to infuse for about an hour.
After that, strain the spices out and discard them, bring the liquid up to just below simmering point again, then whisk in the cubes of jelly until they're absolutely dissolved. Now pour it all through a strainer into a glass measuring jug and make it up to exactly 1 pint (570 ml) with the orange juice. Pour the jelly into the serving glasses. Then, when it's cooled, cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge till needed. The jellies need to be removed about 15 minutes before serving.
To make the frosted grapes, dip them in the beaten egg white, then coat them generously with caster sugar and leave them on a sheet of silicone paper (baking parchment) to dry. Serve the jellies with the grapes on top.
Note: this recipe contains raw egg.
_This recipe first appeared in Sainsbury’s Magazine (Dec 1993)._

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