Strawberry salsas enhance main courses, desserts
Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, September 5, 2006
Move over, strawberry shortcake. We’ll always love the classics, but there are other tasty options.
Strawberry salsas, for example.
That’s the word from Rick Mancilla, sous chef at bouchon-Santa Barbara, a restaurant in Santa Barbara, Calif., inspired by the ripe, rosy berries harvested in spring and early summer.
Mancilla has worked out five strawberry-based salsas for home cooks to try. Piquant and varied, they are zingy combinations of berries, herbs, seasonings and other ingredients, to enjoy for themselves and even more for what they do to other foods.
Mancilla recommends serving the first salsa as a complement to a dessert such as panna cotta.
The other four he suggests pairing with meat or fish.
Fresh strawberry and orange salsa
1cup fresh strawberries (quartered)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme (flowering if possible)
2teaspoons maple syrup
2oranges (peeled, cut into halved segments), preferably blood oranges
In a small mixing bowl, toss together strawberries, thyme and syrup. Allow strawberries to soak for about 20 minutes. Toss with oranges.
If a sweeter salsa is desired, sprinkle with a small amount of granulated sugar. If a wetter salsa is desired, add a little orange juice. Makes 2 cups.
Panna cotta
1cup milk
11/4-ounce package unflavored gelatin
1vanilla bean
2cups heavy cream
1/2cup sugar
Strawberry and orange salsa (recipe above)
Place 1/2 cup of the milk in a medium saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over it; let sit for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and cook, stirring, until the gelatin dissolves completely.
Cut the vanilla bean in half, lengthwise. Scrape out seeds; add both seeds and pod to the pot, along with the remaining milk, cream and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until steam arises from the pot. Turn off the heat, cover, and let steep for 15 to 30 minutes.
Remove the vanilla pod and pour the mixture into 6 custard cups. Chill until set. Serve in the cups, or dip the cups in hot water for about 10 seconds each, then invert onto plates. Serve, the same day you make it, with strawberry and orange salsa.
From “How To Cook Everything” by Mark Bittman
This salsa uses fresh mint, rosemary and shallots, and Mancilla suggests serving it on pomegranate-marinated grilled rack of lamb. Use the best aged balsamic vinegar you can find.
Fresh strawberry and balsamic salsa
1large shallot, peeled, quartered
1cup fresh strawberries (whole or halved small, wild strawberries, if available; roughly chopped, if larger)
1teaspoon finely minced mint leaves,
1tablespoon lightly chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In nonstick pan, roast shallot until soft and caramelized. Remove from pan and chop finely.
In a medium mixing bowl, toss all ingredients; drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to absorb all flavors. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 1 cup.
The strawberry and mango salsa, seasoned with roasted red bell pepper, chives and lemon juice, would go well with pan-seared sea bass.
Fresh strawberry and mango salsa
1small red bell pepper
1/2cup stemmed, medium-diced strawberries
1/2cup medium-diced fresh mango
1 1/2tablespoons chopped chives
1lemon, zest and juice
Salt and freshly cracked white pepper, to taste
To fire-roast pepper on stovetop burner, hold directly in high flame and cook all sides until evenly charred (black). Remove from heat; place in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit until room temperature; peel off charred skin. Remove seeds and chop pepper. Measure out 1/4 cup chopped pepper to use in this recipe.
In a small mixing bowl, toss all ingredients; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes 1 cup.
A strawberry, onion and pepper salsa is seasoned with cilantro and lime juice. Try this as a condiment for grilled flank steak.
Fresh strawberry, onion and habanero pepper salsa
1tablespoon butter
1habanero chili pepper, peeled, seeded, minced
1clove garlic, minced
1/2cup stemmed, small-diced strawberries
1/4cup small-diced sweet onion
Juice of 1 to 2 limes (depending on how juicy they are, for preferred consistency)
1tablespoon finely chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly cracked white pepper, to taste
In small skillet in butter, over low heat, saute pepper and garlic until tender; cool.
Toss all ingredients in a mixing bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes 1 cup.
To serve on roasted double-cut pork chops, here’s a strawberry and charred-onion salsa with roasted coriander and cumin seeds and fresh oregano.
Fresh strawberry and charred onion salsa
1small red onion
1tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/2teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2teaspoon cumin seeds
1/3cup stemmed, chopped strawberries
1teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
2teaspoons Muscatel wine vinegar (see note)
To char onion, peel and slice into 1/4-inch-thick rings; rub with olive oil, season to taste with salt and pepper. Place on hot grill until browned; let cool and chop. Use 1/4 cup chopped onion for this recipe.
Dry-roast coriander seeds in small saucepan over high heat for about 2 to 3 minutes or until aroma is released, being careful not to burn. Coarsely grind with mortar and pestle and set aside. Separately roast cumin seeds in small saucepan over high heat for about 1 to 2 minutes or until aroma is released, being careful not to burn. Grind finely with mortar and pestle. The reason for separate roasting and grinding is to end up with coarsely ground coriander and finely ground cumin.
Toss all ingredients in a mixing bowl; season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Makes 1 cup.
Note: If not available, substitute sweet wine vinegar, such as sherry vinegar.
