Two-Stage Strawberry Sauce (Macerate, Then Reduce)

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A pouring sauce that tastes like ripe strawberries instead of jam. Sugar-macerated berries release their own juice, that juice gets reduced to a glossy syrup on its own, and a second handful of raw fruit goes in off the heat — so you get deep cooked-strawberry flavor and fresh berry brightness in the same spoonful. No cornstarch, no gumminess. Pour it over cheesecake, panna cotta, vanilla ice cream, pancakes or sparkling water.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb fresh strawberries, hulled (about 5 cups)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 2 strips lemon zest, peeled wide with a vegetable peeler

• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, cold (optional, for a glossier sauce)
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, kirsch or Grand Marnier (optional)

Instructions

1. Hull the strawberries. Set aside 1/2 lb (about a third) of the best-looking ones for the finish. Slice the remaining 1 lb into 1/2-inch pieces and put them in a medium bowl.
2. Toss the sliced pound of berries with the sugar and the pinch of salt. Let stand at room temperature 30 to 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the fruit has slumped and is sitting in a pool of pink syrup. Do not rush this with heat — the maceration is what gives the sauce its clean flavor.
3. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a wide skillet or 2-quart saucepan and pour in the macerated berries. Let the juice drain for 2 minutes, pressing gently with a spoon; keep the drained fruit in the strainer's bowl for now. You should have roughly 3/4 to 1 cup of juice.
4. Add the lemon zest strips to the juice and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil, swirling occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes, until the syrup has reduced by about a third, darkened to a deep ruby, and coats the back of a spoon in a thin sheet. It should read 215–218°F on an instant-read thermometer, or a drop chilled on a cold plate should be lightly syrupy, not watery.
5. Turn the heat to medium-low, add the drained macerated fruit back to the pan, and simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes, just until the pieces are tender and translucent. Skim off any pale foam. Remove from the heat and fish out the lemon zest strips.
6. Cut the reserved 1/2 lb of raw strawberries into 1/4-inch dice (or quarters, if you want a chunkier sauce) and stir them into the hot sauce off the heat. The residual heat softens them just enough while keeping their fresh perfume intact.
7. Stir in the lemon juice, then the vanilla and, if using, the cold butter and the splash of balsamic or liqueur. Taste: it should be sweet-tart and pointed, not flat. Add lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon at a time until it tastes like strawberries again.
8. Cool 15 minutes before serving warm, or transfer to a jar and chill at least 2 hours to serve cold — the sauce thickens noticeably as it cools. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 10 days.
9. For a smooth coulis, blend the finished sauce for 30 seconds and pass it through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing with a ladle; thin with 1 to 2 teaspoons water if it's too thick to pour in a ribbon.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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