Clementine-papaya jelly

Jelly or jello, whatever you call it, these little guys pack a punch of flavor!

You’ll need (makes 5-6, depending on the ramekins or glassware that you are using):

• 600 ml fresh clementine juice
• 1 clementine, peeled and sliced thinly into rounds
• 5 gelatin sheets
• 25 g dried papaya (usually available in the Asian section of supermarkets)
• 1 tsp orange blossom water
• approx 2 tablespoons of caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp clementine zest
• 2 needles star anise

First piece of advice: wear an apron. It is best to juice the clementines by hand – it does not take that long and you develop your own technique along the way. Mine, for some reason, reminds me of milking a cow.

1. Juice the clementines (about 20). Strain the juice.

2. Soak the gelatin sheets in a large bowl of cold water until softened.

3. In the meantime, add the star anise, orange blossom water and zest to the juice. Start heating the juice in a medium saucepan on medium-low heat until it is warmed through.

4. Add the softened gelatin sheets and stir well. Keep stirring and add sugar, to taste. I added about 2 tablespoons – you still want the clementine tang to shine through.

5. Take off heat and strain again. Add in the diced papaya and let it steep for several minutes.

6. Add in rounds of fresh clementine, about 2-3 to a pot, to each ramekin or glass. Pour in the juice mixture, distributing the papaya evenly.

7. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours until set.