Gelée Macédoine

Two majestic tiers of grapes, mandarin oranges, and raspberries suspended in pink champagne gelatin topped with whipped cream

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City/Region: United States of America

Time Period: 1877

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The Gilded Age, a period of late 19th century United States history when a handful of people got mind-bogglingly wealthy off of industrialization, conjures up images of the social elite in New York. High society families had more money than most of us could imagine, and they spent it in the most ostentatious ways. One of those ways was by throwing parties that could cost up to the equivalent of millions of dollars in today’s money. These parties would host lavish feasts with dozens of dishes, like this gelée macédoine, which would have been served in a sweet course alongside plum puddings, mince pies, and fruit cakes.

I’m not normally a fan of gelatin, but this was really nice. It wasn’t rubbery at all and the champagne flavor really comes through. It takes a while to make, but feels fancy and is delicious. You could also use the recipe as a base and swap out other types of wine or use other flavorings like liqueurs or spices. If you do add spices (cinnamon was popular at the time), put them into the syrup, and be sure to use a cloth jelly bag or nut milk bag to strain the gelatin mixture. This will ensure a clear jelly.

If you don’t have a gelatin mold, you can use a bundt cake pan, or really any bowl of pan that you have.

“Gelée Macédoine. This is made with any kind of jelly; however, jelly made with Champagne or sherry is preferable. Any of the delicate fruits of the season, such as grapes, cherries, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, mulberries, currants (on their stems), plums, and orange sections, or preserved fruits, such as brandied cherries, peaches, etc., are tastefully imbedded in the jelly, so as to show their forms and colors to best advantage.”

— Practical Cooking, and Dinner Giving by Mrs. Mary F. Henderson, New York City, 1877

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Ingredients:

• 3 packets (21 g) powdered gelatin
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) cold water
• 750 ml bottle of champagne, divided, I used pink champagne for the nice color
• 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
• Fruit, I used grapes, mandarin oranges, raspberries, and blueberries
• Whipped cream and more fruit for decoration, optional

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and give it a stir to evenly distribute it. Set it aside for at least a few minutes for the gelatin to hydrate.
2. Make a champagne syrup by pouring 1 cup of the champagne into a saucepan and adding the sugar. Stir, then set it over medium heat. Bring it just to a simmer, stirring to make sure the sugar is dissolved, then remove it from the heat.
3. Set the bowl of gelatin in a larger bowl of hot water and leave it for a few minutes. Stir to make sure it has fully liquefied, then stir it into the champagne syrup (which should still be hot) until it’s fully mixed. Pour the mixture through a strainer or a cloth jelly bag. Set it aside to come to room temperature.
4. After the champagne syrup-gelatin mixture has come to room temperature, stir in the rest of the champagne.
5. Rinse your mold with cold water, and don’t dry the inside. Arrange your fruit however you like, using different colors of fruit to make pretty patterns. I found using a pair of tweezers (that I only use for cooking and baking, I promise) helpful to precisely place the fruit. To keep the fruit from floating around and ruining your design, you can place a layer of fruit, add enough of the room temperature gelatin mixture to cover it, then set it in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to partially set. Then add another layer of fruit and gelatin, and repeat until your mold is full or you’ve run out of the gelatin. Place the mold in the fridge for at least 8 hours for it to fully set.
6. Right before you’re ready to serve, put a little water into your serving dish. This will help you move the jelly around a bit if it doesn't come out perfectly centered. Dip the mold into hot water for just a few seconds to loosen it, then carefully but quickly turn it out onto the prepared serving dish. Center the jelly on the dish, wipe away any excess water in the dish, and serve it forth.

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