Traditional White Blancmange With Redberries
The earliest known blancmanges were made in medieval times: a mixture of cooked white meats, such as pork and chicken, or white fish on Fridays, pounded to a pulp, then combined with almond milk, boiled rice and sugar. By the reign of Elizabeth I, meatless versions existed, using cream, rose water and sugar and eggs for thickening. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, is in glass was used to set the blancmange; and arrowroot, the precursor of cornflour, was introduced as a thickener in the nineteenth century after it was imported from the West Indies. In this century food companies such as Brown and Poison took blancmange over and I should think the number of people who made blancmange from scratch rather than use a packet could be counted on one hand. I used to love butterscotch blancmange - hot and in quantity. This flavour is no longer made because, to quote, 'there is no demand'. It is impossible to replicate the taste of the butterscotch flavouring used, so I now make a very different type of blancmange - one that makes a very special end to a summer meal.
INGREDIENTS:
115 G/4 OZ BLANCHED
ALMONDS, GROUND 450 ML/I 6 FL OZ MILK
4 TSP CORNFLOUR
APPROXIMATELY 3 TBSP
CASTER SUGAR
150 M1.15 FL ON WHIPPING
CREAM, WHIPPED
APPROXIMATELY ! I/2 TSP ORANGE FLOWER WATER
375 o/ I 3 OZ RI PE STRAWBERRIES
100 MIJ8 V2 Ff. OZ DESSERT WINE
ABOUT 2 TBSP ORANGE JUICE
250 G/9 ON RASPBERRIES
1-2 TBSP FRAMBOISE LIQUEUR
DIRECTIONS:
Rinse a decorative 550 m1/I pint ring mould with cold water, then leave upside down t.o drain. Line a sieve with muslin.
Gently heat. the ground almonds and the milk to simmering point, cover and leave in a warm place for 15 minutes. Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor and process for several seconds. Pour through the sieve, pressing down well to extract all the milk.
IIn a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the milk, the cornflour and sugar.
In a saucepan, bring the remaining milk to the boil, stir a little into the bowl, then pour back into the saucepan and return to the boil, stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook gently for about 3 minutes.
Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then, using a large metal spoon, gently fold in the cream and flavour judicially with orange flower water. Pour into the mould and leave for several hours to set.
Reserve about 150 g/5 oz of the strawberries. Slice or quarter the remaining strawberries, according to size, place in a bowl and pour over the wine and orange juice. Leave in a cold place for 1-2 hours.
To serve the pudding, dampen the centre of a cold plate, place it over the mould, then, holding the two together, invert them and give a sharp shake. Carefully lift off the mould. Drain and reserve the juices from the strawberries. Mix the berries with about 175 g/6 oz of the raspberries and pile in the centre of the blancmange. Puree the juices with the framboise liqueur, reserved strawberries and remaining raspberries. Adjust the taste with orange juice or sugar, if necessary, then trickle some over the blancmange, some over the fruit and serve the rest separately.
