Italian Mandarin Jelly (Gelo di Mandarino)
Italian Mandarin Jelly, or Gelo din Mandarino, a traditional Sicilian citrus dessert made from freshly-squeezed mandarin juice, granulated sugar and cornflour, and garnished with chopped pistachios and grated chocolate. It's an incredibly flavourful dessert with a smooth, delicate, custard-like texture and a bright orange colour that puts a smile on anyone's face. It's really easy to make with just a few ingredients, and ready to serve from chilled way quicker than a traditional jelly.
Servings: 6 portions
Calories: 232kcal
Ingredients
- 700 ml mandarin juice (freshly-squeezed from 2 kg of mandarins / 3 cups juice)
- 70 g cornflour ( cornstarch, ½ cup or 2.5 oz)
- 100 g granulated sugar (½ cup or 3.5 oz)
- 50 g chopped pistachios (⅓ cup or 1.75 oz)
- 25 g grated chocolate ( can be milk, white or dark chocolate, ¼ cup or 1 oz)
Instructions
- Peel the mandarins and add them to a blender or food processor; work in batches if necessary.
- Blitz for 5 seconds, then line a fine sieve with a cheesecloth and strain the blended juice though it.
- Press and squeeze firmly to extract as much juice as possible, I got 700 ml of juice.
- Add the cornflour to a bowl together with half a cup of the freshly-squeezed juice.
- Mix well to get a slurry.
- Mix the remaining juice with the sugar, and transfer the mixture to a pan set over low to medium heat.
- Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then add the slurry and whisk until the mixture thickens.
- Divide the mandarin mixture between 6 jelly moulds ( the moulds I used can hold 125 ml / 4 oz liquid each).
- Allow the mandarin jelly to cool down completely, then refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours until set.
- Serve with chopped pistachios and grated chocolate.
Video
Notes
- If you don't have jelly moulds, ramekins or small bowls work just as well. Jelly moulds give a more elegant finish when turned out onto a plate, but the dessert can be served directly from a ramekin.
- Do not add any more cornflour, we want the pudding set, but not rubbery. It is important to mix the slurry very well to prevent lumps from forming, or the dessert will not be smooth.
- The jelly can be refrigerated for 3-4 days, I actually enjoyed it more the next day, as the flavours had time to meld. The amount of sugar used can be increased if you like, it all depends on how sweet the mandarins are - always taste the juice before adding any more sugar.
Nutrition
Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 343mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 279IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg