Jelly Wrestling

About a year ago I spent an extended period of time in a hospital bed. A combination of bad hospital food and high doses of morphine severely curbed my appetite and I could stomach nothing but fruit juice, chicken schnitzels and black tea. My fruit juice cravings transported me into the land of jelly, pretty much the only edible thing that arrived on my hospital tray. So reliant was I on jelly as my primary source of nutrition I burst into inconsolable sobs one evening when the tea ladies failed to deliver the sacred jelly. A year later and with a wisdom tooth extraction or three on the cards I am resurrecting my jelly obsession. But no Aeroplane Jelly for me, I'm going for good old-fashioned fruit juice set with leaf gelatine.

There is a lot to love in jelly land.  There is a certain quality to the wobble of a perfectly set jelly that is undeniably sexual, perfectly mimicking the wobble of a well endowed woman. A wobble that makes the most sensible of us giggle, the most inured of us snicker. A good jelly is smooth and slippery, manna from heaven for the toothless and sore-gummed amongst us. But you don't have to be sick or a child to enjoy a good jelly - although a soupçon of infantilism is indispensable for most adult pursuits. This ridiculously easy jelly is simple Valencia Orange, a good dash of Cointreau would make it a little more grown up but I might leave that 'till I'm off the painkillers.

Orange Jelly

From 'Jelly with Bombas & Parr'

Makes 500ml

Juice from about 4 oranges (to make 300ml)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

100ml sugar syrup

100ml water

5 leaves gold-strength gelatine

Choose a mould that will hold 500ml.

Squeeze oranges, pips and all, into a measuring jug until you have 300ml. Squeeze in the lemon juice.

Add equal quantities of sugar syrup and water to make juice up to 500ml.

Cut leaves of gelatine into a few pieces and place into a heat proof bowl, cover with a few tablespoons juice and leave to soften for 10mins.

Bring a small pot of water to the boil, place bowl of gelatine over simmering water and stir occasionally until completely melted

Pour the remainder of the juice over the gelatine and stir to combine. Pour through a sieve into measuring jug and then carefully fill the mould. Refrigerate until set.

To unmould jelly, dip mould briefly in hot water before turning jelly out.