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Damsons for Dessert

seasonal Recipes from our resident Foodie Laura Coate

Autumn is undoubtedly the time of year that you’ll find me ferreting around in hedgerows. It is the time for jam and jellymaking, for infusing spirits and for pickling. If you are lucky enough to lay claim to a damson tree, you can put the blue-black sour little fruits to almost any culinary invention of your choosing: they make the most divine ice cream; the most simple of jams; and can compliment pork, lamb or duck beautifully. I wouldn’t be put off by the stones, either.

When in lazy jam making mode, I tend to skin the stones off the jam as it’s boiling, but for many damson recipes, you’ll need to do nothing more arduous than push the soft, cooked fruit through a sieve with the back of a large spoon. This year, I’ve come up with a new use for my damson purée – one which I’m hoping will be a winner with my children too. Essentially, it’s a fruity blancmange, but don’t let that truth put you off. It has the creaminess and the jiggle factor of a pannacotta, with a texture that’s more akin to a jelly.

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To serve 6:

500g damsons 375ml single cream (or coconut milk, for a vegan version) 45g cornflour, sieved 100g caster sugar Flavourless oil, for greasing 1l jelly mould (or individual ramekins)

TIP the damsons in a pan with 3 tbsp water, place a lid on top and cook gently for 5 to 10 minutes until the fruit is completely soft.

Allow to cool slightly and then push the fruit through a fine sieve using the back of a large spoon. Measure the purée. You should have around 375ml.

Set aside 75ml of the cream to a bowl and gradually whisk in the cornflour, until completely smooth.

Lightly grease your mould with flavourless oil.

Pour the remainder of the cream into a pan along with the damson purée and sugar. Heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and bring almost to a simmer. Slowly whisk in the cream and cornflour mixture. Keep whisking (and alternate with a wooden spoon to ensure that no paste sticks to the bottom of the pan) and continue to cook until the mixture tastes completely smooth and is glossy in appearance. This should take around 3 to 5 minutes.

Pour immediately into the greased mould and tap the mould on the worktop, just to make sure there are no trapped air bubbles. Allow to cool slightly, then cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge overnight, or for at least six hours.

When you are ready to serve, run a flat knife around the edge of the mould and dip the mould briefly into a bowl of warm water before turning out the dessert onto a flat plate. Jiggle the plate to test for wobblefactor. Serve with almond biscuits.