Strawberries in hibiscus and vanilla syrup

(If you are reading this post on a RSS reader, you might want to click through to Chez Pim for the slideshow.)

Here is a veritable three-star dish you can do at home.

We had a small dinner party a few nights ago to celebrate our return from Europe. One of the friends who came was Joe, aka the hunky Joe of Dirty Girl farm. He brought a few pints of gorgeous strawberries which he picked for us just an hour or two earlier. The bright red berries were a new hybrid called Albion. They were unbelievably fragrant and flavorful, and -in a momentary lapse of judgement- I decided to share them with everyone for dessert.

The berries would have been great on their own, but I wanted to do something fun with them anyway. I first thought of whipping up a quick batch of cream –that would be crème chantilly for us snobs. I might even flavor it with the wonderful vanilla beans from the Reunion Islands that Malik gave me a few months ago.

Then I recalled a lovely strawberry dessert that Alain Passard serves at his restaurant l'Arpège in Paris. With his usual brilliance and delicacy, he baths the flavorful strawberries in a nage of hibiscus and vanilla flavored syrup –which at once enhances the true flavor of the strawberry while adding to it a whole new dimension. It's so simple, yet so extraordinary.

The recipe was printed in Alain's only cookbook, the illustrated children's cookbook he collaborated with Antoon Krings, Les Recettes des Drôles de Petites Bêtes -which, by the way, is so cutesy-cute it is indispensable for your French speaking children, be they real or imaginary.

I adapted the recipe a bit, and it worked perfectly well in my kitchen. Miranda, Joe's beautiful fiancée (sorry girls), loved it so much she wants to give out the recipe to people who buy their berries at the farmers market. Perhaps we will leave a stack next to the berries this Saturday.

Strawberries in hibiscus and vanilla syrup
Soupe de fraises au sirop d'hibiscus

500g or 2 pints of strawberries
2 cups of water
½ cups of sugar (if your berries are not very sweet you can add more sugar)
1 cup of dry hibiscus flowers (called Jamaica at Mexican markets)
1 pod of vanilla bean (A teaspoon of vanilla extract will do in a pinch.)

1. In a small sauce pan, add the water, sugar and bring it to a vigorous boil.
2. Turn off the heat. Add the dry hibiscus and the vanilla pod (halved and scraped into the pot.) Stir well. Set aside to let the hibiscus and vanilla macerate in the syrup.
3. Wash and dry the strawberries and cut into quarters. Set aside.
4. When the hibiscus syrup cools down completely, strain it into a large bowl. Add the berries to the bowl and toss gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Can be served by itself or as on top of vanilla ice cream.

Comments

[David]

That was very kind of you to include a picture of Joe's strawberries, but how about a picture of Joe too?

[barbara]

Magnificent strawberries Pim. Pity the season is over down here.

[grignote barbotine]

Ca m'inspire, d'autant que mes enfants sont fans (comme moi) des drôles de petites bêtes et adorent les fraises.

[Mary]

Pim,
Thanks so much for the reference for Passard's book, I ordered it immediately. I've got an 8 year old friend with a birthday coming up. She is growing up bilingual in the US (one of my jobs is to speak French to her whenever we're together). My other job is to make her birthday cake every year and find some sort of French present. The book will be perfect!

[faustianbargain]

hibiscus is known as red sorrel(oseille rouge?)in france, but my first taste of it was in egypt(karkeedeeh). i found two varieties, red and black. the former is more acidic/tart than the latter. there are a couple of ways to make hibiscus tea.

it is also good when mixed with orange juice or lemonade.

[kevin]

I'm with David! I need a hunky guy to bring me berries (but in the meantime, a photo will do).

Speaking of "butch," this strawberry, hibiscus and vanilla combo is making me swoon right now! Thanks for this delicious post!

[dan]

I have dirty girl strawberries on my blog as well! Just took the photo @ the ferry building last week.

[Meredith]

This looks like a great way to use up the bag of jamaica (dried hibiscus flowers) I have lurking in my cupboard. Thanks Pim!

[French Laundry at Home]

If there was ever a reason to invent Smell-o-Vision for the internet, this is it.

[shuna fish lydon]

as per David & Kevin's comment, (sorry boys & girls.)

Oh, and welcome home!

[Melissa]

I made this last night, Pim. Despite my decidedly unspectacular strawberries, it was AMAZING. Thank you!

[Pim]

David, dahling, didn't I say he has a fiance?

Barbara, it's funny being upside down, isn't it? ;-)

GB, moi aussi je suis fan.

Mary, your little friend will love this. It's such a cute book.

FB, I didn't know that. I've only heard it called ee-beez-quiz.

Kevin, don't go with David.

dan, lovely photo on your blog. Thanks.

Meredith, oh you are going to love this.

FLaH, that's an idea. Will you get on it?

Shuna, thanks! I'll see you soon I hope.

Melissa, you're welcome. Imagine how good it will be when you can get better strawberries. Try it again later in the season.

cheers,
Pim

[Pille]

Having now seen the recipe and watched you prepare it 'live', I must make this as soon as strawberries are at their best here (that's in July usually). A great and simple idea - thanks, Pim!

[Pille]

Tried it this weekend, and really loved it. Will be making it again and again when local strawberries come to season. Thanks for sharing a great recipe, Pim!

[estnet]

this is great! (and the extra syrup makes a really nice and refreshing drink)

[bopa]

Hello!

I was wondering where one can find hibiscus flowers in Benelux?

I would like to make this desert on Saturday.

Thxs

Bopa

[Yolanda]

You are lovely and generous
--your recipe is lovely and delicious
--your french baby recipe book is wonderful
AND i learned the spanish name for hibiscus
A super good day!

[John]

a friend of mine referred me to your site. I'm glad she did :) love the strawberry recipe