Serve these little treats up after an al fresco dinner party

Susie Carter - Susie’s Kitchen

“This month’s recipe was inspired by an amazing rhubarb and kaffir lime Bellini I had at The Pig Hotel in Brockenhurst, back when forced rhubarb was in season. My unforced rhubarb is now in full swing at the allotment, and while it isn’t the vibrant pink of the early forced variety, it is full of flavour. If you only grow one edible plant, rhubarb should be at the top of your list: minimum work for maximum yields. The Pig has its own kaffir lime tree in a heated greenhouse, but you and I will have to make do with the frozen variety, available from Asian grocery stores.”

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Ingredients

Serves 6

500g rhubarb, chopped

125g caster sugar

4 frozen kaffir lime leaves, defrosted

7 sheets of leaf gelatine

700ml sparkling wine, well chilled

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Method

1 Put the rhubarb in a saucepan with the caster sugar, kaffir lime leaves and 2 tbsp of water.

2 Cover the pan and simmer gently for 6 – 8 minutes or until the rhubarb is tender and has released plenty of juice.

3 Tip the rhubarb into a sieve set over a bowl. Leave it to drip through without pressing down to stop it from turning cloudy. Meanwhile, cover the gelatine with cold water and leave to soak for 6 minutes.

4 Measure 200ml of the rhubarb juice into a jug. Squeeze out the gelatine leaves then whisk them into the hot rhubarb juice to dissolve.

5 Leave the rhubarb juice to cool completely to room temperature and put 6 serving glasses in the fridge to chill.

6 Spoon a little of the rhubarb pulp into the glasses and level the tops. Stir the sparkling wine into the gelatine mixture then pour 150ml into each glass.

7 Transfer the glasses to the fridge immediately to retain the bubbles and chill for 3 – 4 hours or until completely set.

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Find it in Hampshire

Rhubarb Sunnyfields Totton, 02380 861266 www.sunnyfields.co.uk

Rhubarb plants Blackmoor Liss, 01420 477978 www.blackmoor.co.uk

Sparkling Wine Jenkyn Place Vineyard Bentley www.jenkynplace vineyard.co.uk

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Mark Bedford - Caviste

I have the perfect sweet wine for these rhubarb bellinis, from the green hills of Gascony where the Southern French sun is tempered by the cool, moist Atlantic winds. But I also have an early summer rosé and a soft, crunchy red ideal for a feta cheese and olive salad – or some grilled lamb splashed with some sweet balsamic to match the perfect al fresco dining combinations.