ACCORDING to the dictionary, when it comes to food, a “fool” is a dish made of fruit, scalded or stewed, crushed and mixed with cream or the like. I happen to have heard that it’s also someone who becomes a restaurateur, but that’s another subject.

And the same dictionary tells me that a gooseberry is the fruit of a spiny European shrub having lobed leaves, greenish flowers and edible greenish to yellow or red berries. I also happen to know that despite it being European, it tends to be regarded as quite British. And a Gooseberry fool is therefore a very British dessert.

Dead easy to make, you could use cream rather than yoghurt but we actually like the edge the creamy Greek yoghurt gives to the dish. You could also use rhubarb rather than gooseberries, or possibly damsons or plums.

INGREDIENTS
Serves four to six

750g gooseberries
The finely-grated zest of an orange plus its juice
140g castor sugar
300ml Greek yoghurt

METHOD

First, wash the gooseberries and remove any stalks and leaves. Place the berries in a saucepan along with half the orange zest, the juice of the orange and the castor sugar. Heat gently until the gooseberries break down and then turn up the heat to evaporate any excess juice. Once the mixture is quite thick and most of the liquid’s gone, remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool.

When cool, fold the yoghurt with the gooseberry mix, spoon into wine glasses or small bowls and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Lovely served topped with maybe a few fresh strawberry halves and a shortbread biscuit.

Twitter: @eatoldfields For further recipes, go to www.billoldfield.com Oldfields Pantry ready meals are available direct from the restaurant on Claypath in Durham on 0191 370 9595 or go to www.oldfieldspantry.co.uk for delivery by mail order.