Greatest recipes ever Rose Prince chooses Nigel Slater’s delightful trifle ‘Trifle is in the right hands. No one knows better than this wonderful gardening cook how to use fruit to its best—plus all else in this beautiful, seminal book’ Rose Prince

Nigel’s delightful trifle Extract from Nigel Slater’s The Kitchen Diaries Published in 2005 by Fourth Estate

To serve 6 A trifle so divine that I wish I had made two—the last one to eat alone, in my bathrobe, at breakfast.

Ingredients 350g plain sponge cake A large egg, separated 2 tablespoons caster sugar 250g mascarpone cheese This rich, fruity trifle will bring back memories of childhood treats A couple of drops of vanilla extract egg white until it is almost stiff, together. Decorate with fresh 250 ml whipping and then fold it into the mixture. blackcurrants and, if you like, or double cream Next, spoon the mascarpone crystallised violets. A few sprigs of blackcurrants cream over the cool black- and some crystallised violets currants and sponge. You can Rose Prince is a food writer, to decorate smooth it flat or leave it in deep, broadcaster and author of billowing folds. The Savvy Shopper and The For the blackcurrant layer Refrigerate for a good hour or New English Table. Her new 475g blackcurrants so before serving, so that the book, Kitchenella, is published 4 tablespoons of water A ‘wonderful gardening whole thing has time to come by Fourth Estate, priced at £26 2 tablespoons caster sugar cook’: Nigel Slater (above)

Method Spoon the hot blackcurrants And to drink... Pull the blackcurrants from and their juice over the sponge, It’s a challenge to find a dessert wine that balances the their stalks and put them in then leave it to cool. During this tartness of the blackcurrants yet doesn’t smother the cream and mascarpone. The delicate apple-blossom and a stainless steel pan with the time the sponge will soak up pear notes of Prosecco are ideal to lift the vanilla, but it’s water and caster sugar. Put much of the blackcurrant juice. a little too shy on its own to cope with the many layers in them over a low to moderate Put the egg yolk and sugar this trifle. Add to Prosecco’s power by topping up each heat and leave to simmer for in a bowl and mix well, then stir glass with a healthy splash of cassis and serve a Kir Royale with seven to 10 minutes, until they in the mascarpone and vanilla. this pudding. The cassis highlights the blackcurrant layer and are starting to burst. Once there Whip the cream until it is thick adds enough power to the Prosecco to slice through the rich is plenty of purple juice, remove enough to lie in soft folds creamy textures. It also looks divine on the table. Try NV Villa the currants from the heat. (rather than stand in stiff Sandi Prosecco Frizzante (£7.49 or £5.99 for two at Majestic) Break the sponge into small peaks), then fold it lightly into and Crème de Cassis de Dijon Comptoir (£8 at Majestic). pieces and push it into the the mascarpone mixture. Chosen by Amelia Pinsent.

Brian Food;Leatart/Stock Chris Images Jackson/Getty bottom of a large serving bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the

94 Country Life, October 20, 2010 www.countrylife.co.uk