Serves 8

Tempt guests with these gorgeous jellies – they’re a feast for the eyes and perfect for summer entertaining. The champagne adds a fun element as the bubbles pop in your mouth with each spoonful. Gently steaming the strawberries is an effective way to extract their juice and flavour. However, it does take a little time, so it is best to do this the day before.

450g strawberries
Juice of 1 lemon
150g caster sugar
8 sheets of leaf gelatine
1 bottle of pink champagne, sparkling rosé or prosecco
200g Fraises des Bois (wild strawberries), plus extra to decorate
Crème fraîche, to serve (optional)

1 Hull and quarter the strawberries and place in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir in the lemon juice and sugar. Cover the bowl with clingfilm (or pan lid) and leave to steam for 30-40 minutes until the strawberries have softened and released their juices.
2 Line a sieve with a clean piece of wet muslin and place over a large bowl. Pour the strawberries and juice into the sieve and leave to drip for 2-3 hours. Don’t be tempted to press the pulp or the juice will lose its clarity. Discard the pulp.
3 Soak the gelatine sheets in a bowl of cold water to soften. Pour the strawberry juice into a clean pan and heat until just beginning to boil. Pick up the gelatine sheets and squeeze out the excess water. Add to the hot juice and stir until dissolved completely. Cool slightly.
4 Mix in the champagne or sparkling wine and leave to cool completely. Meanwhile, hull the Fraises des Bois and divide between eight champagne flutes. Whisk the jelly until frothy and pour over the strawberries, which will float to the top (for an even spread of strawberries all the way up the flutes, add them and the jelly in layers, waiting for each layer to set before adding another). Chill for a few hours or overnight until set. Serve chilled with a scoop of crème fraîche and a few more Fraises des Bois, if you wish.

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