Lemon Verbena and Summer Fruit Gelée

Ingredients

• •8 sprigs lemon verbena sprigs and leaves
• •2 cups dry rosé wine
• •1 cup sugar
• •3 cups mixed summer fruit
• •¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• •4½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• •⅓ cup water
• •1 piece nonreactive baking pan
• •1 piece loaf pan
• •6 pieces 8-oz glasses

Cooking Instructions

1. 1.

   Rub verbena sprigs in your hands to bruise leaves and stems, then combine sprigs with wine and 3/4 cup sugar in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 1 hour.

   65 min

2. 2.

   While verbena mixture steeps, finely grind verbena leaves with remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor or an electric coffee/spice grinder. Gently toss fruit with verbena sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a bowl. Let stand while verbena syrup finishes steeping.

   10 min

3. 3.

   Sprinkle gelatin over water and let soften 1 minute. Meanwhile, reheat verbena syrup until hot, then stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in macerated fruit with juices and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Chill in an ice bath, stirring occasionally, until cool and thickened (the texture of raw egg whites) but not set, 8 to 10 minutes.

   15 min

4. 4.

   Very lightly oil baking pan with vegetable oil (not necessary if pan is nonstick or if using individual glasses).

   2 min

5. 5.

   Pour gelée into baking pan and chill in refrigerator until set, at least 3 hours.

   180 min

6. 6.

   To unmold, dip pan in a larger pan of hot water 5 to 10 seconds to loosen. Invert onto a serving plate (do not unmold if using individual glasses). Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

   15 min