Copyright Protected Chef Gregory Engelhardt and the Mabel White Company

Garden-Fresh Strawberries with Powdered Vanilla and Chocolate Fondue

Recipe Serves:   4 guests

1 pound      Fresh Strawberries

2 cups        Quality Chocolate Chips 

to garnish   Powdered Vanilla

to garnish   Mint

To prepare the strawberries:

Rinse gently under cool running water and simply trim the green leafy portion from the tops of each berry.  Place cleaned strawberries in a small bowl.

To prepare the chocolate fondue:

Place the chips into a small Tupperware container.  Place the container with the chocolate into the microwave and cook on high setting for 25 seconds.  Let the chocolate stand for 1 minute in the micro, then stir with a spoon.  Place the chocolate back in the microwave and cook again for 25 seconds.  Let stand 30 seconds and stir until chips are thoroughly melted.

To prepare the plates for serving:

Divide the berries up into the 4 bowls or plates you have chosen to present the dessert.  With a spoon, pour the chocolate equally among the four plates over the berries.  Dust each portion with Mabel’s powdered vanilla and finish with a nice mint leaf in the center.

 

Garden-Fresh Strawberries with Powdered Vanilla and Traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Modena

Recipe Serves:   4 guests

 Things in place:  10 minutes

Preparation:        20 minutes with balsamic reduction

 1 pound        Fresh Strawberries

4 Tbsp          Traditional Balsamico*

to garnish     Powdered Vanilla

to garnish     Mint

To prepare the strawberries:

Rinse gently under cool running water and simply trim the green leafy portion from the tops of each berry.  Place cleaned strawberries in a small bowl.

To prepare the plates for serving:

Divide the berries up into the 4 bowls or plates you have chosen to present the dessert.  Drizzle 1 Tbsp of Balsamico over each portion of strawberries.  Dust each portion with Mabel’s powdered vanilla and finish with a nice mint leaf in the center.

Set the Balsamico out on the table for a great dessert conversation piece.

*If you don’t have Traditional Balsamico*

If you don’t have the pleasure of Traditional Balsamico in your kitchen, I will offer an alternative, although it is most definitely second best.  Due to many years of natural reduction in the wood barrels, the traditional balsamico from Modena becomes thick and very concentrated in flavor.  We can attempt to duplicate this result in a small pot in just a few minutes which takes the families in Italy sometimes over 40 years to accomplish. 

*Place ¾ cup of standard balsamic vinegar into a small pot or pan and reduce it over low heat until you have about 4 Tbsp remaining.  This will concentrate the flavor of the balsamic vinegar while thickening it up leaving it like syrup.  Use this syrup in place of the traditional balsamic vinegar.

 

The “Rock and Roll” Recipe:

Deep-Fried Garden-Fresh Strawberries with Powdered Vanilla and Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

Recipe Serves:   4 guests

Things in Place:  20 minutes

Preparation:        5   min

Cook time:          10  min

1 pound      Fresh Strawberries

1 recipe      fritter batter

3 cups        Vegetable Oil

4 Tbsp        Traditional Balsamico

to garnish   Powdered Vanilla

to garnish   Mint

Get these “Things in Place” to ensure great success!

       A Sturdy 4 qt sauce pot (the size of a cantaloupe) filled with 3 cups of vegetable oil.

This is your deep-fryer.

*    Place 4 paper towels on a plate for later use- in order to drain the strawberries of any excess oil as they come out of the fryer. 

*     Have a slotted metal spoon ready to remove the strawberries from the oil.  Keep it handy on the plate you just made.

*    Prepare the fritter batter- continue by rinsing and trimming the strawberries.  Shake dry and drop them into the flour/milk mixture.

*    Once you have these three things ready- (the fryer, the plate w/spoon, and the berries in the batter) you are ready to put them in place. 

Visualize a production line.  You are moving from the bowl of batter-covered strawberries, into the fryer and then when crispy…onto the plate.  You want “your ducks lined up” before you even start frying the first one.  The closer you have to travel with the dripping batter, and the dripping hot oil, the less mess we clean up after dessert is over.    

 *       Place the bowls/plates of your choice for the four servings out on the counter making plate-up simple.  Keep them at room temperature.

*     Have your vanilla powder, balsamico, and a few nice mint leaves for garnish ready near your plates/bowls you will serve dessert in.

 

Prepare these items in this order:

Slowly heat your fryer to 350º:  (as always, use caution when cooking with hot oil)

Over medium-high heat, slowly bring the fryer to approximately 350º (about 5 minutes). 

If working without a thermometer that will read to 350º, the best way to determine if the oil is ready is to test the oil with some of the batter.  Drop a teaspoon of batter into the oil and  At proper temperature, fritter will rise immediately to the surface and fry for about 1 minute before becoming crispy and golden brown. Remove the test fritter from the fryer.

To prepare fritter batter:

¾ cup     Flour

¾ cup     Milk

3 Tbsp    Sugar

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl large enough to hold to prepared batter and the pound of strawberries.  Mix thoroughly with a wire whisk until smooth (without lumps).

To prepare the strawberries:

Rinse gently under cool running water and simply trim the green leafy portion from the tops of each berry, dropping them into the bowl of batter as you go.

To fry the berries and prepare the plates:

Remove the berries (from the batter) with your fingers 2 or 3 at a time and place them into the oil very carefully.  As soon as the berries are in, use the spoon to detach them from the bottom of the pot as they may have stuck (as they often do).  You want them to float nicely while frying.  When the berries have cooked for about 1 minute or have become golden brown and crispy, remove them from the oil with the slotted spoon and place them on the paper-lined plate to dry.  Meanwhile, fry the remaining berries.

While the berries are still warm, divide them up into the bowls or plates you have chosen to present the dessert.  Drizzle 1 Tbsp of Balsamico over each portion of strawberries.  Dust each with Mabel’s powdered vanilla and finish with a nice mint leaf in the center.

*Set the Balsamico out on the table for a great dessert conversation piece.

*signature recipes are assumed to be cooked at your own risk