Brighton's Best Cookbook: Michael Bremner 64 Degrees

Due to space limitations, we weren't able to publish every recipe we collected from Brighton's top 20 chefs (as voted for in the Brighton's Best Restaurants awards 2017) who contributed to Brighton's Best Cookbook  so rather than let them go to waste, I'll be posting them here over the next few weeks. I'm starting with what has become a firm Brighton favourite and the only way to finish a meal at the number one restaurant on the Brighton's Best Restaurant list, 64 Degrees. You may have seen chef Michael Bremner on BBC's recent Great British Menu series where he served the main course at a banquet at Wimbledon to mark 90 years of the BBC broadcasting the competition. 

Rum Bear Jelly by Michael Bremner 

This has been a staple on the 64 Degrees menu since day one. It came about on a quiet evening when the chefs were playing around with rum and Tangfastics. Vitamin C powder is available from Infinity Foods in Brighton or health food shops nationwide. We make the sherbet using a 50:50 ratio of vitamin C to sugar, but if you prefer a less mouth-puckering result, reduce the amount of vitamin C.

(Makes 15 jellies) 

For the jellies

215g bag Haribo Tangfastics

200ml white rum

100ml apple juice

For the sherbet

4 tbsp powdered vitamin C

4 tbsp caster sugar

Put the Haribo, rum and apple juice in a pan and a melt over a very low heat. The Haribo will melt at 70°C but alcohol evaporates at 78.3°C, so use a kitchen thermometer to ensure the mixture remains somewhere between the two. Pour the mixture into 30ml teddy bear jelly moulds (or any shape of your choice) and leave to set in the freezer for 1-1½ hrs.

Make the sherbet by mixing together the vitamin C and caster sugar. To serve, unmould the jelly and sprinkle over the sherbet.  

Brighton's Best Cookbook: Recipes from the Top 20 Restaurants edited by Andy Lynes (£25) is available to buy in Brighton from all the featured restaurants (full list here), City Books Waterstones Brighton and Newhaven Fish Sales and the i360 gift shop, with other retailers being added soon. You can order the book online from Chef Publishing and Waterstones.