Orange Jelly Baskets

A cold orange gelatin set in a shallow pan, then broken up and heaped into hollowed orange-peel cups. The only technical trap is the gelatin ratio, which is very lean for the volume of liquid.

• Gelatin ratioOne tablespoon of granulated gelatine is roughly one modern envelope (an envelope is 2 1/4 teaspoons, about 7 g, so the spoonful is a little more), and an envelope is generally reckoned to set about 2 cups of liquid. Here it is carrying nearly 4 cups, so expect a deliberately soft, spoonable set rather than a firm mould. If you want it to hold a broken shape in the baskets, use two envelopes.
• Bloom, then dissolveFive minutes in cold water is the minimum; 10 gives a more even bloom with no gritty specks. Add the boiling water to the softened gelatine and stir, then stir the sugar until you cannot feel grains on the bottom of the bowl.
• Do not boil the juiceAdd the orange and lemon juice off the heat, after the gelatin and sugar are dissolved. Boiling citrus juice dulls the fresh flavour, and prolonged heat weakens gelatin's setting power.
• "Keep on ice"The icebox, i.e. the refrigerator. The recipe does not say what to set it in, but a shallow pan chills quickly and evenly; allow several hours, or overnight for the softer single-envelope version.
• Cutting the basketsHalve six oranges crosswise, or cut a lid from the stem end, and scoop the flesh out with a grapefruit spoon, leaving the white pith intact so the shell stays rigid. A strip of peel left standing across the top makes the handle. Trim a flat base or set them in muffin cups so they do not tip.
• Juice supplyTwo cups of orange juice takes roughly 5 to 6 medium oranges, so juice the flesh you scoop out and top up as needed. Strain through a fine sieve, not just for clarity but because pulp settles and makes the jelly cloudy at the bottom.
• Assemble at the last minuteBreak the set jelly with a fork into rough facets and fill the shells just before they go to the table, as the original says. A soft jelly standing in a citrus shell will weep and slump.
• YieldSix servings, one basket each. The jelly quantity is generous for six small shells; any surplus can be chilled and served in glasses.