Blueberry, Pomegranate & Orange Jellies with Pistachio Praline

Sprinkling or scattering garnishes around the plate rather than over the food itself is a lovely way of making food look more enticing.  Decorating the plate though, does need to be done with a light touch.

It's all too easy to get carried away with this technique so it pays to remember that less is most definitely more.  Especially, as layers of different shaped and textured garnishes scattered over the plate often look more attractive than just one single garnish.  If you look at the photos you'll see that combining more delicate garnishes, such as the orange zest and praline crumbs, helps to soften the appearance of the slightly more solid pieces of fruit.

There is a concept used in many forms of art and design that is called white or negative space.  This is the blank space that is left around objects and is critical to ensure that the objects appear more prominent.  It's a technique that is often used in page layouts and in graphic design to make the words and images literally jump out at you.  The same technique is equally applicable in food presentation.  By leaving parts of the plate visible, the food appears more distinctive.  So, to make sure that the decorations scattered over the plate don't merge into one, it is more effective to scatter them sparingly and leave plenty of white space in between.

Blueberry, Pomegranate & Orange Jellies with Pistachio Praline

Serves 4

Ingredients

Jellies

300g Blueberries

100ml Orange Juice

Zest of  ½ Orange

Juice of 1 Lemon

30g Mild Sweet Freedom or Agave Nectar

Approx 200ml Pomegranate Juice

3½ Sheets Gelatine

Pistachio Praline

50g Rich Sweet Freedom or Dark Agave Nectar

50g Pistachio Nuts

To Decorate

Orange Slices

Blueberries

Pomegranate Seeds

Orange Zest

Place 150g of blueberries in a pan with the orange zest and juice, lemon juice and Sweet Freedom or agave nectar.  Cook gently until the blueberries start to disintegrate.  Take off the heat, blend to a thick puree and then sieve into a measuring jug.  Make up to 400ml with pomegranate juice and stir well to combine.

Cut the gelatine leaves into small pieces and soak in cold water until they are soft, then drain well.  Heat about half of the jelly mixture, take off the heat and add the drained gelatine leaves and stir until completely dissolved.  Stir into the remaining jelly mixture and leave to cool.

Divide the remaining blueberries between 4 ramekins or individual jelly moulds, approx 125ml capacity, then pour in the jelly.  Place in the fridge and leave overnight to set.

To make the pistachio praline, place the rich Sweet Freedom and pistachios into a small heavy based saucepan, bring up to the boil and boil until the syrup turns a rich golden brown.  Stir every now and again to prevent it catching on the sides of the pan and burning.  Tip onto a piece of non stick baking parchment and flatten with the back of a spoon.  Leave to cool and set.

To serve.  Briefly dip one of the  jelly moulds into boiling water, place a serving plate over the top of the mould, invert the plate and jelly and give it a few sharp shakes until the jelly plops out onto the plate.  Repeat with the other jellies.

Scatter some orange slices, zest, pomegranate seeds and blueberries on the plates around the jellies.  Roughly chop the praline and pile some on the top of each jelly then sprinkle some of the smaller pieces around the plates.  There will be more praline than you need but it will keep in an air tight jar for a later date. 

Food Preparation & Food Presentation Guides

Colour ~ Texture ~ Shape/Form ~ Less is More ~ Garnishing

Serving Styles ~ Plating Techniques ~ Plating Styles

Importance of the Visual Appeal of Food

Why Attractive Presentation Makes Food More Enjoyable