"Arcimboldo" Fruit And Flowers Aspic For Spring

Collect some flowers either from your own garden or from a source that specialises in pesticide-free flowers, suitable for use in the kitchen.

• Wash and dry all the petals and set aside.
• Soften the sheets of gelatin in a bowl of cold water.
• Squeeze three oranges over a drainer, collecting the juice in a bowl and removing all seeds.
• Peel the remaining orange and cut it into cubes.
• Wash the lemon and slice the zest into thin slices.
• Wash and slice the strawberries, peel the banana and slice them into rounds, wash and slice the peaches.
• In a saucepan, place 5 tablespoons of water and warm it on the stove, add the gelatin remembering to squeeze the excess cold water off first.
• Let the gelatin melt completely.
• Mixing it with a wooden spoon, add the orange juice and sugar and mix until all the sugar has melted, then strain the whole mixture.
• Add Muscat wine to the mixture until the total volume is 1 litre of liquid.
• Let the mixture cool until it has thickened and pour a quarter of the liquid into a gelatin mould.
• Make sure it covers the bottom and sides, then place in the freezer until it solidifies.
• Once the gelatin is solid, begin arranging the fruit into layers and placing into the mould.
• Remember to set aside a few violets for decoration.
• Pour in the remaining gelatin until the mould is filled and the fruit is well-covered.
• Pound the mould a few times against a flat surface to remove any air bubbles and then put it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
• When completely cold, remove it from the fridge and immerse it into boiling water for a few seconds, then turn it upside down on a serving plate.

A nice glass of Muscat wine makes a great accompaniment for this dish.