Ingredients
Base
- 1 litrecranberry juice, or rhubarb or redcurrant juice
- 150 gsugar
- 120 gfine semolina
- a pinch of salt
To serve
- cold milk
- single cream
- extra sugar
Directions
- Bring the juice to a boil with the sugar and the salt. Rain the semolina into the boiling juice in a thin stream, whisking constantly.
- Add it slowly and keep whisking. Cook it, stirring, over a low heat for 8 to 10 minutes until it thickens into a smooth porridge.
- Cook the semolina right through at this stage.
- Take it off the heat and let it cool until it is just warm, no hotter than your hand.
- Cool it before whipping. Whipped hot it stays liquid and refuses to hold air.
- Keep going well past the point where you think it is done. It is ready when it is thick, mousse-like and holds a soft peak on the beater.
- Spoon into bowls and chill for an hour. The cold milk poured into the bowl rather than over the foam is the traditional presentation and it is part of the pleasure.
Technique
- It holds its foam for a day in the fridge and slowly collapses after that.
- Cranberry, lingonberry, rhubarb and redcurrant all work; the sourer the juice, the better the balance.
- A stand mixer makes it easy and a hand whisk makes it very hard work indeed.
Substitutions
- Any sour berry juice or a fruit compote thinned with water.
- Fine polenta at a pinch, though the texture is coarser.
Variations
- Vispipuuro, the Finnish lingonberry version.
- Made with rhubarb juice in early summer.
- Layered with berries in a glass.
History
An Estonian nursery and canteen dessert, usually made with cranberry or rhubarb juice.
Frequently asked questions
What is Mannavaht?
Mannavaht is a dessert from Estonia: semolina whipped with berry juice into a pink foam, served with milk. An Estonian nursery and canteen dessert, usually made with cranberry or rhubarb juice.
How long does Mannavaht take to make?
Mannavaht takes 10 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Mannavaht?
Yes, within limits. Any sour berry juice or a fruit compote thinned with water. Fine polenta at a pinch, though the texture is coarser.
What is the most important thing to get right in Mannavaht?
Keep going well past the point where you think it is done. It is ready when it is thick, mousse-like and holds a soft peak on the beater.
