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An Excellent Trifle

Port of the Month: AXIS Restaurant

“To find the ultimate trifle, I referred to the great Francatelli, chef to HM Queen Victoria. Trifle was frequently served to Royal visitors and to heads of state when the Queen entertained. Francatelli’s recipe is excellent, but it has no fruit. For me, the addition of fruit to a great classic pudding remains the only improvement to be made, so the following recipe really belongs to Chef Francatelli”.

- Chef Mark Gregory

Ingredients:

120 ml fruit purée - strawberry, raspberry, lightly sweetened
12 raspberries
8 strawberries - trimmed and cut into quarters
4 tbs sherry (Walnut Brown is best)
4 macaroons (homemade or shop bought)
400 ml thick English custard (home made or shop bought)

Syllabub

1 egg white
100 ml (1/2 cup) double cream
2 tbs dry white wine
good pinch grated nutmeg
1.5 tbs castor sugar

Optional

100-ml (1/2 cup) apricot purée with 3 chopped strawberries and 4 mint leaves
4 drink straw shaped biscuits with brandy snap paste (home made or shop bought)

Recipe Properties:

If you are making your own fruit purée add 2 tbs castor sugar for every 1/2 cup. Be sure to pour it through a sieve before use to remove any small seeds.

Trim strawberreis of the stalk and any inedible white or unripe parts. Cut into quarters and place into sundae glasses along with a few raspberries. Pour 2 tbs of purée over the fruits.

Now pour the thick custard into the glasses, sufficient to fill by two thirds, place a macaroon in the centre of the custard and sprinkle liberally with sherry.