Classic French

Red fruit soup

Name: Red fruit soup
Yield: 4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 230g raspberries, washed; 160g strawberries, stemmed, halved and quartered; handful alpine wild strawberries; 100g blackberries; 20g caster sugar; 12 leaves spearmint leaves; 6 leaves basil, fresh; 6 leaves Vietnamese coriander or lemon verbena; ½ Charentais melon, scooped into 12 balls; 250ml Monbazillac or dessert wine; 90ml red wine, Cabernet Sauvignon; 40g caster sugar; 4 turns ground black pepper; 1 tsp vanilla purée (see basic recipe); 100g cold water; 100ml cold water; 200g caster sugar; ½ lemon, zested; ½ lime, zested; ½ orange, zested; 3 sprigs mint,; 3 basil leaves; 3 lemon verbena leaves, finely sliced; 6 raspberries, sliced 2mm thick; 4 strawberries, sliced 2mm thick; 100ml chilled pink champagne (the remainder of the bottle will be much appreciated by your guests!); 4 mint leaves

So refreshing, with the red fruits combined with mint, pepper and citrus flavours

Prep —Cook —Serves 4

I originally created this fruit dessert for my first ever restaurant - Les Quat’Saisons - but it’s simple enough that anyone can make it at home. It’s so refreshing, with the red fruits combined with mint, pepper and citrus flavours. It also has a wonderful moment of theatre which will delight any dinner party guest when you pour over the bubbling champagne. Because it is so simple, the quality of the ingredients you use is crucial. I grow an alpine wild strawberry in my garden at Le Manoir, which has an extraordinary flavour and perfume. For the raspberries, I find the later season varieties have more flavour, such as Autumn Bliss and Scottish Glen Doll.

This recipe is from my cookbook: Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons: The Story of a Modern Classic

Ingredients

For macerating the fruit

230graspberries, washed
160gstrawberries, stemmed, halved and quartered
handfulalpine wild strawberries
100gblackberries
20gcaster sugar
12 leavesspearmint leaves
6 leavesbasil, fresh
6 leavesVietnamese coriander or lemon verbena
1/2Charentais melon, scooped into 12 balls

For the wine

250mlMonbazillac or dessert wine
90mlred wine, Cabernet Sauvignon
40gcaster sugar
4 turnsground black pepper
1 tspvanilla purée (see basic recipe)
100gcold water

For the spun sugar with zests and herbs

100mlcold water
200gcaster sugar
1/2lemon, zested
1/2lime, zested
1/2orange, zested
3sprigs mint,
3basil leaves
3lemon verbena leaves, finely sliced
6raspberries, sliced 2mm thick
4strawberries, sliced 2mm thick

To serve

100mlchilled pink champagne (the remainder of the bottle will be much appreciated by your guests!)
4mint leaves

Method

1
In a large bowl or deep tray, mix all the ingredients except the melon. Leave to macerate for 30 minutes.
In a small saucepan, mix the Monbazillac wine, the Cabernet Sauvignon, sugar, pepper and vanilla purée. Bring to the boil for 1 minute to remove some of the alcohol, take off the heat and add the cold water.
Cooldown to approx 40°C. This temperature is important as it facilitates the exchange of flavours.
Any hotter, and it would cook the fruit.
2
Add the warm wine mixture to the macerated fruit, add the melon and cover.
Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 1 day to cool it and to allow even more flavour to develop.
3
For the spun sugar with zests and herbs Preheat the oven to 80ºC. Lay the finely-sliced raspberries and strawberries on a tray lined with greaseproof paper and dry them in the oven for 2 ½ hours.
Chop finely and reserve in an airtight container. (You can add a packet of silica gel crystals to keep them crisp and dry.
) Pour the water into a small saucepan, add the sugar and let it absorb the water. You can make the caramel without water, but the sugar is more likely to crystallize.
4
Over a medium heat, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Cook until it reaches a pale gold.
Remove the pan from the heat and allow the caramel to cool and thicken a little. This will make it easier to thread.
Using a fork, thread the caramel onto a sheet of greaseproof paper, using a back and forth motion. Sprinkle the citrus zest, herbs and dried fruits evenly over the threads, so they are trapped.
Thread over to create a lattice.
5
To serve: Ladle the soup and the fruit into a large glass serving bowl or 4 individual glass bowls.
Add a sprig of mint and a lattice of spun sugar.
Finally, ceremoniously pour a quarter of a glass of pink champagne into each bowl and serve to your guests.
6
Variations: Many other fruits can be used in this dish, such as redcurrants, blackcurrants, and loganberries.
Add 6 leaves of 2g gelatine to the macerated fruit to create a terrine.
Alternatively, freeze the jus and grate it to create a granita.

Chef's Tips

“
"Because it is so simple, the quality of the ingredients you use is crucial."

Cooking is always an expression of care and generosity. Enjoy this dish.

Bon appétit!