Gooseberry Fool and Gooseberry Crumble

I don't think we even get gooseberries in Australia. I'd certainly never seen them until I came to London. There are my Dad's favourite, cape gooseberries, known in the UK as physalis - a somewhat less pleasant name! But they are not even remotely similar.

Gooseberries look a little like grapes, but are apparently too tart to eat in their uncooked form. We tried these ones, though, and they actually tasted rather reminiscent of grapes and weren't too sour at all. Kyle thought they tasted a little like that equally rare and unusual New Zealand fruit, the feijoa.

They have a very limited season and are available only sporadically in our fruit and vegie shop. I can't really rely on them being there but bought a punnet two weekends in a row. So two very classic British Summer desserts in a row - Gooseberry and Elderflower Fool and Gooseberry Crumble.

The fool was a lovely blend of gooseberries, yoghurt and cream and was delicious served with some crunchy biscuits for texture.

The crumble was less successful. The gooseberries created so much juice that even though I poured a lot out, it still bubbled over so much that the crumble was quite soggy. I found the flavours pleasantly unusual, more tart than I expected from tasting the raw fruit. The excessive juice did taste delicious, all syrupy and sweet and the crumble (that wasn't drowned) was crunchy from the hazelnuts. Kyle, unfortunately, found the fruit a little too tart and the lack of crunchy crumble disappointing.

So overall, the gooseberries were a mixed result at best. The thing is, they are so rare, I'll probably cook them again next year anyway!


Gooseberry and elderflower fool
Serves 4

500g gooseberries
100g caster sugar
2 strips pared lemon zest
2 heads elderflower (optional)
3 tbsp elderflower cordial, or to taste
142ml pot double cream
150ml fresh ready-made custard
Sponge finger biscuits, to serve

1. Put the gooseberries into a saucepan (there is no need to top and tail them) with 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the lemon zest, and the elderflower heads, if using. Cook over a low heat until the juices start to run from the gooseberries, then cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the berries are soft. Remove and discard the elderflower heads and add the rest of the sugar. Turn the heat up a little and cook for 4-5 minutes to reduce the liquid a little. Remove from the heat when it's just beginning to catch on the bottom of the pan. Leave to go cold.

2. Remove and discard the lemon zest from the pan. Rub the fruit through a sieve into a large mixing bowl and stir in the elderflower cordial, to taste.

3. In another bowl, whip the cream until it just starts to form soft peaks. Carefully fold the custard into the gooseberry purée, followed by the cream, so that the mixture is nicely marbled. Spoon into 4 serving glasses and chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with the sponge fingers.


Gooseberry and elderflower crumble
Serves 4

450g gooseberries
150g caster sugar
Elderflower cordial
1 small orange, zest and juice

For the crumble:

100g plain flour
100g unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
50g blanched hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
Vanilla ice cream to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 220˚C.

2. First make the crumble. Place the flour and butter in a bowl and using your fingertips work together until a breadcrumb texture has been achieved. Add the sugar and the hazelnuts and work through the mix until fully incorporated and the topping has a textured uneven appearance.

3. Wash the gooseberries, remove the husks and pat dry with a clean tea towel. Top and tail them if necessary.

4. Heat a frying pan and add the sugar and orange zest, then add the gooseberries, orange juice and elderflower cordial. Place over a high heat until the gooseberries begin to release their juices, shaking the pan frequently. Divide the gooseberries among four individual ovenproof dishes.

5. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the gooseberries to cover them, tap the dishes on the work surface to remove any air pockets. Bake for about 8-10 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the gooseberries are bubbling up around the sides. Leave to stand for 5 minutes to cool slightly before serving.

6. Serve with a scoop of the vanilla ice-cream.