Ingredients
For the poached gooseberries
- 125g English Gooseberries
- 2 tbsp clear honey
- 25g caster sugar
- 25ml elderflower champagne
For the fool
- 60g poached gooseberries
- 200ml double cream
- 20g icing sugar
For the elderflower fritters
- Good handful of fresh elderflowers
- 50g corn flour
- 75g plain flour
- Chilled sparkling mineral water
- 1 tsp of icing sugar
Method
- Place gooseberries, honey, sugar and champagne into a thick-bottomed pan and cook gently until the gooseberries are soft and beginning to break down.
- Remove the best of the gooseberries to use later as a garnish.
- Allow the remaining gooseberries to cool, and then whisk together with the double cream and icing sugar to form soft peaks. Place in the fridge.
- Mix together corn flour, plain flour and enough chilled mineral water to form a thin batter which is the consistency of unwhipped double cream. Place in the fridge until required.
- Spoon the fool into chilled serving glasses, top with the reserved gooseberries. Dip small bunches of the elderflowers in the tempura batter and deep fry in clean, hot fat at 180°C – 190°C until puffed up and golden brown.
- Remove from fryer and place on kitchen towel before dusting with icing sugar.
- Top the fools with the elderflower fritters and serve with elderflower champagne.