Woodland Strawberries with Pepper and Vinegar, Mango, Orange and Ginger Sorbet

By corlear

Ingredients

• For the spicy sugar:
• 1 tsp Jamaica pepper
• 1 tsp pink pepper
• 1 tsp Sechuan pepper
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp star anise
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup Demerara sugar
• For the herb mix:
• 4 mint leaves
• 4 basil leaves
• 4 lemon verbena leaves
• grated rind of 1 lime
• For the strawberry salad:
• the spicy sugar (see previous step)
• the herb mix (see previous step)
• 60 woodland strawberries
• For the basic syrup:
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• For the vinegar compact:
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup basic syrup (see previous step)
• 1/4 cup Sherry vinegar
• pinch powdered agar-agar
• 1 sheet gelatin (previously rehydrated in cold water)
• For the ginger, orange and mango sorbet:
• 2 cups mango purée
• 2 grated orange rind
• 3/4 oz fresh ginger (approx.)
• To finish:
• 11/2 tbsp Japanese vinegar powder
• 1 3" pastry cutter

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

For the spicy sugar:
1. Mix all the ingredients together and grind them in a coffee grinder.

For the herb mix:
1. Mix the herbs and the grated lime rind together.

For the strawberry salad:
1. Season the strawberries with the spicy sugar and herb mix.
2. Leave to marinade for a few minutes.

For the basic syrup:
1. Mix both ingredients together and bring to the boil.

For the vinegar compact:
1. Bring the water, syrup and agar-agar to the boil and dissolve the gelatin in the hot iquid and then leave to cool for a few minutes. Add the sherry vinegar.
2. Leave to set in the fridge and blend in the Thermomix.
3. Leave to rest for 30 min more and spread over a Silpat liner until you have a thin, flat surface of jellied vinegar water. Freeze at -70ºF.
4. Once it has frozen, turn it over on a piece of greaseproof paper and use a pastry cutter, that should be the same size as the one you will use to arrange the strawberry salad on the plate, to cut the vinegar.
5. Keep in the freezer until you are ready to be used.

For the ginger, orange and mango sorbet:
1. Process the mango purée in the sorbet maker.
2. Place the freshly grated orange peel and grated peeled fresh ginger on the mango sorbet.
3. Mix everything together.

Final Steps & Preparation:
1. Arrange the woodland strawberry salad, marinated in the spicy sugar, in a pastry cutter.
2. Place the vinegar compact on top of the strawberries and then add the ginger, orange and mango sorbet.
3. Drizzle a small line of Japanese powdered vinegar on the side opposite the ginger, orange and mango sorbet.