Almond jelly with lychee and melon salad

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons powdered gelatine
• 185ml can evaporated milk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond essence
• 565g can lychees in syrup, drained, reserving 1/2 cup syrup
• 1/4 small (1kg) seedless watermelon, peeled, chopped
• 1/2 small honeydew melon, peeled, chopped
• 1/2 small rockmelon, peeled, chopped

• Method

  1. Place sugar and 2 cups cold water in a saucepan over low heat. Stir for 4 to 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat. Sprinkle over gelatine. Stir with a fork until gelatine has dissolved.
  2. Combine milk and almond essence in a bowl. Add sugar mixture, stirring, in a slow steady stream. Pour into a 3cm-deep, 20cm x 30cm lamington pan. Cover. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until set.
  3. Combine lychees, melons and reserved syrup in a bowl. Run a palette knife around edge of pan. Invert pan onto a chopping board. Press base of pan to release jelly. Cut jelly into squares.
  4. Serve jelly with lychee and melon salad.