Orange tea bavarois served with melon salad

You will need 6 dariole moulds (that hold ½ cup).

Ingredients

3 leaves	Gelatine
1 cup	Full fat milk
3	Dilmah cardamon, ginger and orange tea bags (Main)
4	Egg yolks
½ cup	Caster sugar
1	Orange, zest only
1 cup	Cream

Melon salad

½ cup	Freshly squeezed orange juice
½ cup	Light honey
3	Orange tea bags (Main)
½ cup	Rock melon (Main)

Directions

1. Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft.
2. Heat the milk until hot then add the tea bags and steep for 10 minutes before removing the tea bags. Be sure to squeeze every last drop out of the tea bags.
3. In a bowl beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale yellow in colour and sugar has dissolved, about 4 minutes. Reheat the milk tea infusion along with the orange zest. Then pour the hot milk infusion over the beaten egg mixture and transfer to a Bain Marie and whisk over the heat until the mixture will coat the back of a wooden spoon and reaches a temperature of 82°C.
4. Remove from the heat. Drain the gelatine, add to the hot mixture and whisk in.
5. Transfer the mix into a bowl and set it in an ice bath to cool whilst stirring; ensuring the mix does not start to set otherwise it will be difficult to fold in the whipped cream.
6. Beat the cream until it forms soft peaks. Gently fold into the cooled tea mixture.
7. Grease the six dariole moulds with vegetable oil, pour the bavarois into each mould and chill.

Melon salad directions

1. Bring the orange juice to the boil and add the tea bags and allow too steep for ten minutes before removing the tea bags, then add the honey and reheat to melt the honey. Allow to cool.
2. Cut and peel the melon.
3. With a mandolin, sharp knife or potato peeler cut the fruit into thin slices just prior to serving add to the honey tea dressing.

To assemble

1. To unmould the bavarois. Place each into a hot water bath taking care not to get any water into the mould.
2. Allow to rest in the hot bath until the bavarois loosens from the side of the mould then turn out onto a plate and garnish with the melon by rolling them up and arranging them around the bavrois.
3. Drizzle extra tea dressing over the top.

See more of Simon's recipes using tea

• Earl Grey Fruit salad topped with Zabaglione