Balsamic-Macerated Strawberries with Vanilla Crème Fraîche Cream

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Strawberries are the whole dish here: a spoonful of them is crushed with sugar to build an instant ruby syrup, then the rest macerate in it with a splash of aged balsamic, lemon zest and a whisper of black pepper. Twenty minutes on the counter turns supermarket berries glossy and intensely perfumed. Underneath sits softly whipped cream loosened with crème fraîche, so it tastes tangy and grown-up instead of just sweet. No oven, no gelatin, no gadgets — just fruit, sugar, time and cold cream.

Ingredients

• 2 lb ripe strawberries
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 tsp aged balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 2 grinds black pepper (optional)

• 1 cup heavy cream, very cold
• 1/3 cup crème fraîche or full-fat sour cream, cold
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste)
• 1 pinch fine sea salt

• 6 small basil or mint leaves, torn
• 2 amaretti or shortbread cookies, crushed (optional)
• flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Rinse the strawberries in a colander and dry them thoroughly on a towel before hulling — wet berries dilute the syrup. Hull them all. Set aside about 5 oz of the least attractive or palest berries (roughly 1 cup) for the syrup.
2. Put those 5 oz of berries in a medium bowl with 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, the brown sugar, and the pinch of fine salt. Mash hard with a fork or potato masher for 1 to 2 minutes until you have a loose, pulpy purée. Let it sit 5 minutes; the sugar will dissolve into a syrup.
3. Cut the remaining berries into halves, or quarters if they are large, so every piece is about the same size. Add them to the bowl of syrup along with the balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper if using. Fold gently with a rubber spatula to coat.
4. Let the strawberries macerate at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, folding once halfway through. They are ready when the berries look glossy and darkened and there is about 1/2 cup of loose ruby syrup pooling at the bottom. Taste and add the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar only if the berries are still tart.
5. While the berries sit, chill a large bowl and your whisk or beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes. Combine the cold heavy cream, crème fraîche, powdered sugar, vanilla seeds, and pinch of salt in the chilled bowl.
6. Whip on medium speed (or by hand) for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes, just to soft, droopy peaks that fold over when you lift the whisk. Stop early — crème fraîche thickens fast and you want a pourable, spoonable cream, not a stiff frosting. If it does go grainy, whisk in 1 tablespoon cold cream to bring it back.
7. Spoon a generous pool of the cream into the bottom of 4 shallow bowls or wide glasses. Pile the strawberries on top and spoon all the syrup over so it streaks through the cream.
8. Finish each serving with torn basil or mint, a pinch of flaky salt, and crushed amaretti if you want crunch. Serve immediately, while the fruit is still at room temperature and the cream is cold.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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