Gooseberry Fool Recipe

We've finally got something of a harvest from our collection of gooseberry bushes this year.  We have one called Invicta which is a green-skinned variety, and 2 Hinnonmaki Red, which are, unsurprisingly, red-skinned.  We also have another bush picked up cheap from our local diy store, but I'm not sure what it is yet - it's only a baby and hasn't fruited this year.


To celebrate the harvest we had gooseberry fool as our Sunday lunch treat today.  Here's the lovely simple recipe that we used, which is based on the one in Good Things by Jane Grigson.

Gooseberry Fool


350g gooseberries 
50g butter
sugar to taste
300ml double cream


Top and tail the gooseberries (a yawn but it'll be worth it in the end).  Place in a lidded pan with the butter over a low heat and cook until the gooseberries are soft.  Stir and a squish the gooseberries.  DO NOT sieve the gooseberries - the skins are a vital part of the flavour of the fool, and you really don't notice them in the finished dish.  Add sugar a tablespoon at a time until the fruit is sweetened to your taste.  Set aside to cool.


When the gooseberries are at room temperature, lightly whip the cream until it has very soft peaks, then gently stir in the fruit.  Pile the mixture into a dish/dishes and put them in your fridge until you need them - or, if you can't wait, eat straight away.  If you have the time and inclination, some crunchy almond or shortbread biscuits  are delicious with this.


If you are lucky enough to have a good supply of gooseberries this year, and you really hate topping and tailing, then I recommend this delicious recipe for Gooseberry Curd.  Yum..