I used to love this stuff… usually after dinner, on the rocks, with a twist of lime. Back then it came in a corked, decorative bottle. Now a days it comes in a rather common, blue, screw cap, wine bottle… and is actually cheaper than I remember it.
Is this just not the same stuff anymore, or are my memories a little too embellished?
Back in the day when I drank alcohol, Harvey’s was a fairly regular aperitif. It was, then, the popular sherry (much as Gordon’s was the popular gin) - you’d never see any competition to either in TV adverts.
Presumably catering to modern tastes, Harvey’s website now suggests drinking it chilled. Not at all how it was drunk 25 years ago.
I forgot all about it.
Shit’s always been cheap that’s part of the appeal. In the vein of friends dads 3.99 bigger jug of sherry all that stuff can make for a good steak marinade, ie into a tri tip bitches brew.
It’s probably the same. I think sherry drinkers have shifted to the wider variety of ones that are out there. My usual these days is amontillado, but have also enjoyed Pedro Ximénez styles as an after dinner drink or with dessert.
My partner keeps a bottle of PX to accompany dessert.
It has been a long time since I’ve had it. I bought to use for a cornstarch slurry in the sauce for this shrimp recipe, which was just fine. But later tried it on the rocks with a twist of lime (like I did many years ago) and it just seemed kinda watery and not what I remembered.
My experience with amontillados is that they’re a bit too dry. I’ll look for a Pedro Ximénez next time I’m in town.
Harveys Bristol cream, I use as a cooking Sherry.
I enjoy Jerez-Xérès-Sherry from South Western Spain.
Isn’t Harvey’s awfully sweet for recipes that simply call for sherry?
Yes you are right, most North American recipes call for dry Sherry.
However, Ina Garten’s Truffled Mac & Cheese calls for cream Sherry specifically Harvey’s Bristol Cream (HBC)
In Asian recipes, I usually use dry Sherry to sub for Sake if Shao Xing wine is unavailable.
When a recipe calls for sugar then I use HBC and omit the sugar instead of using dry Sherry.
Similarly in the UK. Except for dessert use, of course - such as soaking whatever cake (or similar), you’re using as the base for your trifle.
Yes, that is very true. I usually soak my trifle using dry Sherry or orange juice.
Next time I think that Harvey’s Bristol Cream may make an appearance.
dark rum and sherry together is nice for trifle
Is it 1/2 and 1/2?
Yes. This is the recipe we have used but we sub in strawberries…
https://lawrysalacart.com/2005/10/01/english-trifle-vanilla-bean-sauce/
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
This will be my first time making trifle without jello.
My husband’s family was from Stoke-On-Trent so and their family recipe used jello many colourful layers of it.
Sounds very midwest USA too!
Have fun and enjoy!
Thank you!
Yes, I was a little taken aback because I had never had trifle with jello before.
Perhaps that was a North American addition to make things simpler.
It was even suggested to use Bird’s Custard and jelly rolls filled with jam.
I was very surprised.
Jello, canned pineapple, miracle whip, Marischino cherries, shredded coconut, cool whip, jello…friends mom made her “strata”… I’ll take rum and sherry, vanilla custard, cake and berries any day.
I use HBC because Mum used HBC and we make trifle exactly as she did.
Layer of trifle sponges, soaked in HBC in the bottom of the serving bowl.
Layer of tinned peaches.
Layer of red jelly (doesnt matter if raspberry or strawberry, as jelly tastes of neither)
Layer of custard (Birds, of course)
Layer of whipped double cream.
Finished with more tinned peaches and a heavy sprinkle of “hundreds and thousands”
