Lychees and raspberries with coconut and chocolate gelato
“For a knock-our Valentine's Day, keep it light and plan it carefully, advises Steve Manfredi.”
- coconut gelato
- chocolate gelato
- 500g of good lychees
- 1 punnet of raspberries
- fresh passionfruit pulp and grated dark chocolate, to serve
Mutual attraction, preparation and attention to detail, lively discourse and a carefully planned - and not too heavy - meal are the foundations of a successful Valentine dinner.
Method
Buy some good coconut gelato and chocolate gelato.
You'll also need 500g of good lychees and a punnet of raspberries as well as 4 egg rings. Place the egg rings on a flat plate or pizza tray that will fit in your freezer. Fill 2 of the rings with coconut gelato and 2 with the chocolate. Make sure you work quickly, pressing the gelato evenly in the rings using a spoon. Cover with cling film and place in the freezer.
Peel 16 lychees, taking the seed out and dividing the flesh into 2 cheeks. Do it over a bowl to catch any juice. Keep the peeled lychees together with their juice in the refrigerator.
To serve
Presenting them on a plate just before serving is a simple matter.
Take the gelato from the egg
rings, running a sharp knife around the edge. Place one of each flavour on two
plates. Stack some lychees with their juice on the coconut gelato and a pile of
raspberries on the chocolate. For added taste and visual effect, spoon fresh
passionfruit pulp on the lychees and grated dark chocolate on the
raspberries.
