Gooseberry & Elderflower Semifreddo

Recipe for: GOOSEBERRY & ELDERFLOWER SEMIFREDDO

Ingredients:

• 100g blanched whole almonds
• 650g gooseberries, topped & tailed
• 125g golden caster sugar
• 100ml elderflower cordial
• 2 eggs separated
• 300ml double cream

 Method:

1. chill an 800ml serving dish in the freezer (round is OK, but a loaf-tin is better)
2. preheat the oven to 190C/ 175C fan/ gas 5
3. toast the almonds on a baking tray for 10 minutes, shaking half-way through.  When they are done, chop roughly
4. meanwhile cook the gooseberries – put them in a pan with 75g of the sugar & 2 tblsps of water.  Simmer briefly, just enough to dissolve the sugar and to soften the berries, whilst leaving them whole
5. stir in the elderflower cordial, then split into two bowls.  Leave one lot whole, and puree the other lot with a blender.  Set both aside to cool.
6. take three bowls:
1. in the first whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 50g sugar
2. in the second whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks
3. in the third whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks
7. in a large bowl combine the cooled puree and egg-yolk mix
8. fold in the whipped cream, then the egg whites and finally the chopped nuts
9. pour the whole lot into the chilled dish, cover with clingfilm, and freeze for at least 4 hours, but preferably longer or overnight
10. to serve: remove from freezer 20 minutes before eating to soften a little.  Cut a wedge or slice for each serving, then spoon over some of the reserved whole gooseberries

 What else you need to know:

1. this will keep in the freezer OK for days, but keep it covered to prevent a build-up of ice-crystals
2. it does go rock-hard, so some time to melt a little before cutting is a good idea
3. the loaf shape is better, as it’s easier to cut a slice off one end, rather than a round cake-shape
4. the fruit content can be changed completely e.g. to raspberries