INGREDIENTS

(serves eight) 

For the jelly
7 leaves gelatine
300g sugar
750ml good Shiraz
8 cloves
1 cinnamon stick, broken

For the pear accompaniment
400ml red wine
150g sugar
100g blueberries
4 pears, halved and cored

Other accompaniments
Farmhouse pouring cream Halved black Cardinal grapes

METHOD

Soak the gelatine in water and squeeze out excess moisture. Put the sugar and wine in a pan and heat until the sugar starts to dissolve. Add the cloves and cinnamon, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer long enough for the alcohol to evaporate. Stir in the gelatine. Strain into dariole moulds. Leave to set in the fridge (about six hours).

For the pear accompaniment, boil the wine, sugar and blueberries. Add the pears and poach until tender. Reduce the cooking liquor and leave the pears to steep in it.

To serve, turn out the jelly on to a plate. Accompany with a halved pear, cream and two or three halved grapes.