Whipt syllabub with Rhine wine
An airy dessert where cream, white wine, sugar and lemon juice are whipped until they form a foam that floats on a fragrant wine base. The height of elegance on Georgian tables.
An airy dessert where cream, white wine, sugar and lemon juice are whipped until they form a foam that floats on a fragrant wine base. The height of elegance on Georgian tables.
Allow me to serve you in this tall glass, as it should be. You beat the cream with Rhine wine, the juice of a lemon and a little sugar, until a light froth separates and rises of its own accord to the surface — that is the whole art. At the tables where I was received after inoculating young people, this syllabub was presented in crystal glasses, the foam on top, the clear wine below. It is a delight that honours both the eye and the palate.
- •Cream — a pint (foamy base)
- •White Rhine wine — a glass (flavour and acidity)
- •Lemon — one, juice and zest (acidity and aroma)
- •Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
- •Orange flower water — a few drops (flavour)
Whipt syllabub with Rhine wine
An airy dessert where cream, white wine, sugar and lemon juice are whipped until they form a foam that floats on a fragrant wine base. The height of elegance on Georgian tables.
Why this dish? In London, I frequented the table of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who entrusted her children to me for inoculation. In those elegant houses, the frothy syllabub always crowned the dinner on feast days.
Allow me to serve you in this tall glass, as it should be. You beat the cream with Rhine wine, the juice of a lemon and a little sugar, until a light froth separates and rises of its own accord to the surface — that is the whole art. At the tables where I was received after inoculating young people, this syllabub was presented in crystal glasses, the foam on top, the clear wine below. It is a delight that honours both the eye and the palate.
Ingredients (period version)
- Cream — a pint (foamy base)
- White Rhine wine — a glass (flavour and acidity)
- Lemon — one, juice and zest (acidity and aroma)
- Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
- Orange flower water — a few drops (flavour)
Ingredients
- Cold heavy cream — 300 ml (foamy base)
- Dry white wine (Riesling) — 120 ml (flavour and acidity)
- Lemon — 1 (juice + zest) (acidity and aroma)
- Sugar — 60 g (sweetness)
- Orange flower water — 1 tsp (flavour)
Method
- Mix wine, lemon juice and zest, sugar and orange flower water; let sugar dissolve 15 minutes.
- Pour cold cream into this mixture and whisk gently until you obtain a soft foam that forms soft peaks.
- Divide among tall glasses; let rest in the cool for 1 to 2 hours.
- The foam rises and a little clear wine settles at the bottom: that is the sign of a good syllabub.
- Serve chilled with a long small spoon.
How it was made : The 'whipt syllabub' appears in all English cookbooks of the 18th century. It was once whipped with a bundle of birch twigs or a rosemary branch, and the foam was presented in special stemmed glasses called syllabub glasses.
The contemporary twist : A pinch of candied zest and a few raspberries at the bottom of the glass for a tart colour contrast.
Charles Maitland · Charactorium
