A Slice of Cheer for New Year

Fanny fills the fifth installment of the partwork with all sorts of fruity citrus recipes. She is so keen on them, that she claims she could fill an entire book, but is careful here to introduce just the basics for every course and every kind of meal. After all, citrus fruits are almost as versatile as eggs and as easily obtainable throughout the year! They are also 'gay to look at', Fanny tells us, and as such are immensely decorative for garnish and presentation, her most favourite of mantras. Citrus fruits delight the eye and titilate the taste buds before any of Fanny's masterpieces have even been sampled. Fanny loves the fact that her citrus recipes can be virtuous and bursting with vitamin C without all the dreary associations of cookery books who list the vitamin and calorie content of everything. Fanny finds this depressing. So, it seems apt to adapt one of her culinary marvels using the humble orange just in time for Hogmanay. 

Fanny's idea is to serve redcurrant jelly in a surprising way with venison, lamb or hare - which is clearly not something I'd be doing. As it's party season I am switching it up and making an alcoholic version with some of the homemade Cranberry Vodka I've had maturing for a few weeks. It's really just some fresh berries pricked all over and plonked in a bottle with the booze, but seems like it would make a much more sophisticated vodka jelly shot. First up I need to hollow out an orange - Fanny has Peter show us how in a pic-strip - which involves slicing off a very small lid and carefully scooping out the flesh.

It's quite tricky not to break the skin, but using a teaspoon I soon have a hollow skin ready and waiting. Time for the jelly. In place of Fanny's suggested redcurrant jelly, water and gelatine, I use a bottle of Sprite Zero I have in the fridge (which seems appropriately citrus packed), my cranberry vodka and some vegetarian Agar flakes, which are made from seaweed. The flakes need to be dissolved in theSprite and heated until just boiled, before simmering for a few minutes and adding the vodka. Maths and science were never my strong point at school, so I am hoping my calculations are good enough to get it to set. 

Once mixed, it needs to be poured into the hollowed out orange and left to set. Agar flakes can set at room temperature, so just a case of waiting... Thankfully after about an hour it has cooled and set really firm, just as Fannys redcurrant version had. The orange can now be cut into segments ready to serve.

I think these make really fun jelly shots for a party, or even just a night in by yourself, as Fanny says they look so gay (in the way Fanny meant it) and decorative but unlike Fanny's version, they also have an adult kick. Perfect to start off the New Year celebrations, with a cocktail or two and good enough to leave you feeling somewhat virtuous and vitamin conscious still, right? Happy New Year!