Strawberry Ginger Ale Terrine

For the first time in many months, strawberries taste good again!  During colder weather when fruits have to be shipped in from far away places, they are usually much too sour.  I find them inedible.  In our region, winter strawberries may be perfectly red and beautiful on the shelf, but they just don’t taste ripe.  Trickery!  I don’t like it.

This brightly colored dessert caught my eye while thumbing through a magazine. The layering is what sold me completely.  On top, sliced strawberries are suspended in a layer of crystal clear ginger ale gelatin.  The bottom is a solid layer of strawberry puree. With strawberries back in season, how could I not make this?

A slice of this is so refreshing!  I will definitely be making this again on a hot summer day.

I love growing herbs, and right now my lemon balm is really thriving!  Since I had the ginger ale on hand, I couldn’t resist mixing up a little herbal soda.

Lemon balm is in the mint family.  The name says it all – it is SO lemony and fragrant.  I muddled a few leaves with some superfine sugar and added ginger ale and chopped strawberries.  So light and fresh!

The terrine was made in a standard metal loaf pan.  Before it is un-molded, the bottom of the loaf pan is submerged in hot water for a few seconds for easy release.  I’d suggest turning out the terrine directly onto your prepared fancy plate or serving platter.  Once this dessert is plated, it’s not easy to move around. I made the mistake of un-molding it on a cookie sheet and then tried to transfer it to a cake plate; a near disaster!  Cutting it into slices for serving is much more manageable.

Strawberry Ginger Ale Terrine        [click for printable version]

Ginger ale layer

1-1/2 cups ginger ale

1/2 cup sliced strawberries

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tbs. powdered gelatin

1/4 cup cold water 

Strawberry layer

1 Tbs. powdered gelatin

2 Tbs. ginger ale

2 pints strawberries, rinsed and stemmed

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

Ginger ale layer: In a small saucepan add water and sprinkle the gelatin on top;  leave to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and cook over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and melt the gelatin (do not boil). In a medium bowl, combine the gelatin mixture and ginger ale. Set the bowl over ice and chill, stirring often, until it reaches the consistency of unbeaten egg whites. Carefully stir in the sliced strawberries. Pour mixture into the loaf pan (or other mold). Let chill for about 2 hours.

Strawberry layer:

Sprinkle the gelatin over the 2 tbsp. ginger ale in a small saucepan. Let stand about 3 minutes. Set the pan over low heat to dissolve the gelatin. Purée the berries with the lemon juice, add the sugar, and then strain the mixture through a fine sieve. Whisk the softened gelatin into the strawberry purée. Once the ginger ale layer has set, carefully pour the strawberry purée on top. Refrigerate at least 6 hours but preferably overnight. To unmold the terrine, dip the loaf pan quickly into hot water, and invert it onto a serving platter. Slice the terrine into 1/2-inch portions; garnish with sliced fresh strawberries or whipped creme.

Note:  Can also be made with sparkling white wine.