Ingredients
- 250ml Sauternes or dessert wine
- 250ml cabernet sauvignon or dry red wine
- 50g caster sugar
- vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped out
- 12 mint leaves, roughly chopped, plus sprigs to serve
- 6 basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 200g fresh raspberry
- ½ Charentais melon, scooped into 12 balls
- 200g fresh ripe strawberry, halved and quartered
- 50g wild strawberries (optional)
- 100ml chilled pink champagne, to serve
Method
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In a large saucepan, bring the two wines, sugar and vanilla pod to the boil. Put the mint and basil in the centre of a small piece of muslin and tie with string to make a bag, then add to the pan with a few turns of freshly ground black pepper.
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Remove from heat and leave to come to room temperature. Remove muslin bag, add raspberries and the melon balls. Chill for at least 4 hrs.
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About 2 hrs before you intend to serve the fruits, add the strawberries and wild strawberries, if using, to the syrup. Serve in a large serving bowl or four individual bowls. Pour about 2 tbsp of the pink Champagne over just before serving.