their unmistakably sharp, green flavour makes me think of hedgerows, sunshine and freshly cut grass
STORIES · 06.07.22
Food | Recipes
There is so much to love about summer, and one of the highlights every July is harvesting the first of the gooseberries from my garden. They are such a quintessentially British fruit, and their unmistakably sharp, green flavour makes me think of hedgerows, sunshine and freshly cut grass. I think they’re best enjoyed in a traditional fool. Rippling them through a vanilla custard softens their tartness. Firm, mid-season gooseberries work best in this recipe, so make sure you pick yours before they become too soft and sugary.
The recipe from my cookbook A Love For Food is below.
Serves 6
400g gooseberries, washed and stalks removed
220g caster sugar
4 egg yolks
60g plain flour
450ml milk
1 vanilla pod, split in half and seeds scraped
350g double cream
To serve
6 sprigs of mint (optional)
firm, mid-season gooseberries work best in this recipe, so make sure you pick yours before they become too soft and sugary
Put the gooseberries into a pan with 100g of the sugar and
2 tablespoons of water and bring slowly to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated. Take off the heat and leave to cool.
Whisk the egg yolks, flour and remaining sugar in a bowl.
Put the milk and vanilla pod and seeds into a heavy-bottomed pan and heat gently, taking off the heat just before it comes to a simmer. Slowly add this to the egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly, then return to the pan and continue to stir over a low heat until you have quite a thick custard. Strain into a clean bowl and leave to cool, stirring occasionally, then cover with clingfilm to stop a skin forming.
Whip the cream until stiff then gently fold into the cooled custard. Finally fold in the gooseberries very lightly – don’t mix them in completely, as you want a ‘ripple’ effect.
Either serve in bowls or if you want to make the pudding look smarter, spoon carefully into six glasses. Put into the fridge until ready to serve. Garnish each glass with a sprig of mint, if you like, and serve with a shortbread biscuit.
