Still Life: Balsamic Strawberries

[Guest guest]

Someone gave us some fresh strawberries that taste very " hot housy. " I

think I will try this on them. I disagree with the suggestion to just wipe

off the strawberries. Our food today is too full of contamination to just

wipe and not wash first.

 

* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Balsamic Strawberries

 

Recipe By : Still Life with Menu (1994), Mollie Katzen, page 47

Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Desserts Fruits

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2 pints strawberries -- (1 quart)

4 teaspoons sugar -- up to 6

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

 

Preparation time: 10 to 15 minutes, plus several hours to sit. Yield: 4 to

6 servings.

 

A traditional Italian way to serve fresh berries is simply to let them sit

and marinate for a few hours with a small amount of sugar, then to drizzle

in a little vinegar just before serving. Perfectly ripe berries taste

exquisite prepared this way. It is also a magical way to salvage imperfect

berries, especially those that may have been picked too soon and would

otherwise suffer the fate of being considered boring and disappointing.

 

Balsamic vinegar is a special aged variety made in Modena, Italy. It is

deep reddish brown, and has a full-bodied, slightly sweet flavor that sets

it apart from other vinegars. In recent years it has become widely poplar

and increasingly available in the United States. It can be found in

specialty or gourmet shops, as well as in some grocery stores, either with

the other vinegars or in the gourmet department. If you can't get balsamic

vinegar, you could substitute another variety. If not exactly

transcendent, the result will still be good.

 

The strawberries can be sliced and sugared up to a day in advance. The

vinegar should be applied within 30 minutes of serving.

 

1. Clean the strawberries by wiping them with a damp paper towel. (If

they are washed directly in water, they will absorb it and their flavor

will become diluted.)

 

2. Hull the strawberries, and halve or slice them, depending on their

size. Place them in a shallow pan (a 10-inch glass pie pan works well) and

sprinkle with sugar.

 

3 Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let sit for at least several hours,

stirring them or shaking the pan every now and then. (If they are going to

sit for much longer than 3 or 4 hours, cover and refrigerate their, but

allow them to return to room temperature before serving.)

 

4. Sprinkle on the vinegar within a half hour of serving, and serve In

small individual bowls.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -