Fresh Orange Jelly Recipe

How to make it

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• Chill a 600ml metal mould in the fridge. Wash and dry the oranges. Rub the sugar cubes over the orange skins to extract the essence from the zest and place the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan. Add half the water and stir over a low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove the sugar syrup from the heat and set aside until needed.
• Squeeze the juice from the oranges, strain and measure out 350ml, making up this quantity with a little water if necessary. Combine the orange juice with the sugar syrup, then pour into a jelly bag or muslin-lined sieve held over a clean bowl. Leave for about 1/2 hr to drip through.
• Sprinkle the agar-agar over the remaining water in a small pan and stir to mix well. Boil gently, until dissolved. Allow to cool slightly, then pour in a thin stream on to the strained orange juice, stirring constantly. Stir in the liqueur if using.
• Rinse out the chilled mould with cold water and pour in the strained orange mixture. Cover and refrigerate for about 8 hours or overnight, until the orange jelly is set firm.
• To unmould: wring a cloth out in hot water and hold it around the mould for a few seconds, then invert a chilled, lightly moistened serving plate on top of the mould. Hold the plate and mould firmly and quickly invert them, giving a sharp jerk half-way over. When the mould and plate are completely inverted, give them a firm shake. Carefully unmould.
• Arrange the orange slices around the base of the jelly in an overlapping pattern, just before serving.