Wine and the City caught up with Eris today at the Pompas & Parr jelly installation at the Experimental Food Society Spectacular, held at the Brickhouse, Brick Lane, to find out how the duo make their extra-wobbly jelly creations.
Their secret ingredient is ether, a colourless, volatile liquid once commonly used as an anesthetic. As with nitrous oxide (laughing gas), medical students in the US in the late 18th century indulged in ether 'frolics', where they would inhale the chemical compound, known as 'sweet vitriol', for the euphoric high it produced. Quite why gastro-magicians Bompas & Parr are using it in their jellies eludes me – are they trying to send us all to sleep? Whatever the reason, ether is making a comeback: expect to see it on a cocktail list near you soon...
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