Syllabub

The story told regarding the origin of this ancient dessert tells that it was created by milking a cow directly into a bowl of cider, or wine. Early recipes can be traced back to Tudor times, where thickened cream was served floating on sweet wine. Making syllabub involves dissolving sugar in lemon juice and sweet wine or brandy, adding a long curl of orange peel then leaving it to infuse overnight. The following day, double cream is introduced and beaten until thick. Infusing the sugar and alcohol with the citrus probably seems a bit mystical, but don’t leave out this bit: the flavour is smoother if you let the mixture steep overnight. The essential ingredients is not something you add to the mixture, but something you do to it; whether this dessert stands or falls, is all in the whipping of the mixture. Beat slowly with a large balloon whisk or electric mixer right to the bottom of the mixture. Watch the texture vigilantly, stopping as soon as you sense a heaviness on the whisk and the mixture sits in soft folds the mixture starts to feel heavy on the whisk, when it will creases in soft folds, like a warm fluffy blanket. The mixture will split if whipped too much.

Ingredients:
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1-2 curls of orange peel, cut with a vegetable peeler without going into the white pith
50ml caster sugar
60ml sweet wine
15ml brandy
300ml double cream

Method:

Dissolve the sugar in the lemon zest and juice, sweet wine and brandy. Add one or two curls of orange peel cut with a vegetable peeler without going into the white pith and leave the mixture to steep overnight.

In the morning, add the double cream and whip until the desired thickness is achieved.

Good as it is, the odd embellishment is no bad thing with this recipe. A drop of Eau de vie, perhaps Framboise or Kirsch adds a welcome kick, as does some crushed ginger in syrup, or even a spoon of ginger marmalade. I have had it with a hint of nutmeg, a little rhubarb and flavoured with lime juice and zest. For a particularly fragrant twist use Cointreau, orange flower water and rose water, to give it a Turkish feel.

Here’s a version based on the concept of syllabub with a British-South East Asian fusion twist. Without all the rigmarole of steeping over night, this syllabub can be made in a hurry.

Elderflower Lemon and Ginger Syllabub

Ingredients:
15ml bottle green ginger and lemon grass cordial
15ml bottle green elderflower cordial
30ml sweet sherry or sweet white wine
50ml sparkling water
4 lady finger biscuits
250ml double cream
60ml icing sugar
125ml lemon curd
30 ml chopped crystallised ginger
Sprigs of mint to garnish

Method:

Mix together the cordials, sherry and sparkling water.

Break up the biscuits in the base of each of 4 sundae glasses. Drizzle over 15ml of the cordial-sherry mixture into each glass.

Pour the cream into a bowl and add the icing sugar. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form.

Fold in the remaining cordial-sherry mixture.

Add the lemon curd and lightly fold through, leaving a marbled effect.

Spoon the cream mixture into each of the glasses. Top with the chopped crystallised ginger and a sprig of mint.

Serve chilled.