Shimmering, brightly colored gelatin is the chosen medium of Sam Bompas and Harry Parr, who have built painstakingly correct models of London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral and Millennium Bridge, and a Madrid airport terminal complete with tiny airplane out of the stuff. They have since expanded their empire to include “an inhabitable cloud of gin and tonic, a chocolate climbing wall.” The Campari jelly used here was part of the duo’s first job in the United States, a dessert for a dinner in New York in 2009. This jelly was an outer layer, molded over a jelly made with orange juice, and the result was something like a Campari and soda, but in jelly form.
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup Campari, at room temperature
- 1 packet unflavored gelatin
- ¾ cup sparkling water
- 1 teaspoon silver mini dragées, optional
- Orange jellies (see recipe)
4 to 6 servings
Preparation
- Make simple syrup: Place sugar in a saucepan, add 2/3 cup water, bring to a simmer and cook just until sugar dissolves. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- In a bowl, mix Campari and simple syrup. Place gelatin in a small metal bowl or 1-cup metal measuring cup and pour 1/4 cup Campari mixture over it to soften it. When gelatin is soft, place bowl or cup in a shallow pan with simmering water below rim of bowl or cup. Simmer until gelatin mixture liquefies. Slowly whisk liquid gelatin into rest of Campari mixture. Stir in sparkling water.
- If using candies, divide them among 4 4-ounce or 6 3-ounce metal or silicon molds. Strain Campari mixture into molds. Refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours. Unmold onto dessert plates by first dipping molds in hot water for count of 20. Return plates to refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with orange jellies.
Dining and Cooking