Sweet and Sour Strawberries

[Recipes Index] [World of Chefs]

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh, ripe, sweet strawberries
• 4 ounces sherry vinegar
• 8 ounces water
• 9 ounces sugar
• 3 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 vanilla bean
• Rind of ½ lemon

Preparation:

Wash the strawberries and remove the stems. Slit the vanilla bean with a knife, exposing the interior seeds. In a saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the water and then add the cloves, cinnamon, slit vanilla bean with seeds and lemon rind. Bring this liquid to a boil and continue boiling for approximately six to eight minutes until it becomes a very fragrant syrup. 

At this point, add the sherry vinegar, bring the syrup back up to a boil and add the strawberries. Combine the strawberries thoroughly in the syrup and allow the strawberries to cook for about one minute. Then remove the pan from the heat, set aside and allow to cool. 

Remove the vanilla bean and the lemon rind. Pour the strawberries and syrup into serving dishes, garnish with a cinnamon stick, sprig of mint and serve at room temperature.