Strawberry Sauce

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •3-quart (2.8 L) heavy-bottomed saucepan
• •Heatproof whisk or flexible spatula
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •2-quart (1.9 L) heatproof jug
• •Instant-read thermometer, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Set the method

   The source directs this sauce to follow Raspberry Sauce (No. 2416): melt the fruit jelly, thicken it slightly with arrowroot, and flavor it with kirsch. Strawberry jelly is the only fruit change. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a heatproof jug before you begin; it is there for rescue, not as compulsory brigade ceremony.

   Use clear strawberry jelly, not jam or preserves. Pulp and seeds make a pleasant fruit sauce, but they do not give this formula its translucent color and polished texture.
2. 2

   Melt the jelly

   Put the strawberry jelly in a 3-quart (2.8 L) heavy-bottomed saucepan and warm it over low heat, stirring steadily, until it loosens into a smooth ruby liquid, about 5 minutes. Do not let it simmer. Sugar scorches quietly, so scrape the corners and pan floor as you stir. If you smell caramel before the jelly is melted, immediately pour the unburnt upper layer into a clean saucepan without scraping the bottom.

3. 3

   Make the liaison

   Whisk the 2 tablespoons arrowroot with 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g) of the cold water until it resembles thin milk and no dry starch remains. This is the liaison à l'arrow-root, an arrowroot thickening. Arrowroot settles quickly, so whisk it once more immediately before pouring it into the warm jelly in a thin stream, whisking the sauce continuously.

4. 4

   Thicken without boiling

   Keep the pan over low heat and stir for 30 to 60 seconds, just until the sauce becomes glossy and leaves a light coating on a cold spoon. If using a thermometer, stop around 180 to 185°F (82 to 85°C). Never boil it: excessive heat dulls strawberry and can weaken arrowroot. If it boils and runs thin, take it off the heat, mix the optional teaspoon of arrowroot with 1 tablespoon of the remaining cold water, whisk it in, and rewarm gently just until the gloss returns. Ça se rattrape.

5. 5

   Finish with kirsch

   Remove the pan completely from the heat, then whisk in the kirsch. Adding it now preserves its clean cherry perfume instead of cooking it away. Let the sauce stand for 2 minutes and check the pour: it should fall from the spoon in a glossy ribbon, not sit like jelly. If it is too thick, whisk in the remaining water, warmed first, a teaspoon at a time. Strain only if lumps remain, then serve warm or leave it to cool. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The classical pantry is doing the sensible work here. A good clear strawberry jelly carries ripe fruit beyond its brief season, and it gives the sauce the polished translucence the source formula intends.
• •Kirsch means dry, clear cherry eau-de-vie, not a sweet cherry liqueur. The distinction matters because the jelly already brings all the sugar the sauce needs.
• •Arrowroot is chosen for clarity. Cornstarch makes the sauce cloudier and asks for a stronger boil, precisely the treatment strawberry does not want.
• •Serve the sauce with bavarois, vanilla ice cream, crêpes, poached pears, a plain génoise, or a chilled cream pudding. Its sharp fruit perfume is especially good against something rich and pale.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the sauce up to 5 days ahead and refrigerate it in a covered container. The jelly will firm again in the cold, so rewarm it over the gentlest heat and loosen it with a teaspoon or two of water if necessary.
• •For cold service, remove the sauce from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving and stir it well. If it remains too firm to pour, warm it only until it relaxes, then cool it again without boiling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 40g)