Mmmmm - Mulberries!

So, not everyone fell in love with Lynda and Larry, who during a chance meeting, discovered they each had an unusual affinity for Lychees.  I do hope, however, you gave my lychee ice cream recipe a try – it truly is delicious.

Just a note; I shared my delectable treat with a few culinary friends, and while their responses were positive, one of my chefs told me I had actually prepared a sorbet. “No,” I replied, “it’s ice cream.”  “Nope,” he said smiling, “it’s not creamy enough to be considered ice cream.”  It was true, though smooth and sweet, with the succulent tone of lychee and a few high notes provided by the fresh lime zest and grated ginger, my concoction was not terribly rich and creamy. 

“You didn’t add enough sugar,” my wise-sage of a pastry chef continued.  “I didn’t use any sugar.” I replied proudly.  “I used honey.  And not much of that, since lychee are so sweet on their own. “  Chef “L” (his name really does begin with the letter L, I’m not making this up) went on to explain a good dose of sugar works to reduce the ice crystals, while acting as a stabilizer when churning.  I can use honey, sugar even corn syrup, but no matter which sweetener I chose, if the desired outcome is ice cream and not sorbet, I need to be a bit more generous.  Next time I prepare my lychee ice cream I will indeed add an additional ¼ cup honey – for a creamy, velvety outcome.  

                                                     

Mm is for Mulberry

On to my Seasonal Alpha-Food of the Week; Mulberries.  If memory serves me correctly the nursery rhyme chorus went something like this; “Here we go ‘round the Mulberry Bush, the Mulberry Bush, the Mulberry Bush, here we ‘round the Mulberry Bush, so early in the morning.”  I believe this old English song was first recorded in the mid-19^th century and unlike, Here We Go ‘Round the Maypole, which is really an X-rated adult chant in the guise of a children’s nursery rhyme, The Mulberry Bush was intended as a learning song. 

I can remember standing gathered outside on the playground, holding hands with my classmates as our teacher arranged us on the painted circle of the blacktop.  Slowly and carefully we would walk, tracing the circle loudly singing the chorus, then stopping to act out the directives; “this is the way we brush our teeth,” or “brush our hair,” or my favourtie, “this is the way we wash our clothes.”  I fervently orchestrated washing clothes on an old washer board the same way I’d seen my grandmother do it long before she and Papa had a real washing machine!

But I wondered, why the Mulberry Bush?  Actually, Mulberries aren’t bushes at all.  They’re gargantuan, deciduous trees that can grow between 30-50 feet tall with a 35 foot spread.  Fortunately the wind pollinates these monsters of green, so you need only one to reap the reward of the mulberry fruit, although they do take several years to mature.  I did read about Dwarf Mulberry trees, which appear incredibly easy to grow in large pots.

Back to why the Mulberry bush, well I couldn’t find any answers.  Only that it’s the Bramble Bush in Scandinavia and the Juniper Bush in the Netherlands.  Perhaps the Mulberry tree held some special interest for the originators of this little diddley in that it is the sole source of food and lodging for the treasured silkworm.  While they eat only Mulberry leaves, these busy weavers don’t seem terribly choosy about whether they are feasting on those trees indigenous to Eastern and Central China which produce the white Mulberries, those native to western Asia which produce the purply-black berries or our home-town fellow, the Red or American Mulberry tree, found on the Eastern side of the U.S.

As the silkworm is busy cocooning itself in its own personal version of a top-shelf Sleep Number bed, the Mulberry tree goes on to produce berries which are available for only a short period of time, from late May through early June.  Taste wise Mulberries can range from rather bland to sticky sweet.  You can use them interchangeable with recipes calling for Blackberries and Raspberries.  But don’t underestimate these plump little conglomerates of seeds and pulp.  They are rich in iron, flavonoids and vitamin C.  With smaller amounts of vitamins E and A.

It’s true; during our summer season we walk into any market and are met by baskets and plastic containers of strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.  Mulberries took more searching, but after a few stops my hunt and peck mission was rewarded.  Because this berry is rather special and not available year round, I didn’t want to prepare the standard pie, gallette, or jam.  I considered cooking them down, creating a viscous reduction doctored with a splash of sweet red wine.  Then straining the mixture through my chinoise and finally drizzling the luxurious mixture over a partially sliced, herb-roasted chicken.  But it’s too hot to roast a chicken in Vegas in July.   I just made ice cream (sorbet) last week and I definitely didn’t want to toss my malleable Mulberries into my Vitamix!

Instead I decided to prepare a Mulberry Gratin with a Grand Marnier Sabayon.  Sounds intimating I know but it’s not!  Using only 6 ingredients, a copper bowl (glass if you don’t have copper) a good balloon whisk and a willingness to work your biceps and triceps, you’ll end up with an ebullient emulsion.  Sabayon, like its Italian counterpart, Zabaglione, is a foamy, luminous, egg-y, custard.  When poured into individual Le Crueset au gratin dishes, where our jubilant berries await their tepid bath, it makes for a creative and succor appellation over the traditional presentation in champagne glasses. 

Here’s my recipe for Mulberry Gratin with Grand Marnier Sabayon

Ingredients

1 ½ - 2 cups fresh Mulberries                            4 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons fine (Bakers) sugar                    3 tablespoons Grand Marnier

1 teaspoon vanilla paste                                    about 1/8 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

Tools – a medium copper or glass bowl, don’t use stainless or ceramic, a good balloon whisk, 4 au gratin or ramekins

1)      Butter each au gratin dish with unsalted butter, distribute rinsed Mulberries evenly among each dish and place them on a cookie sheet.  Set to the side until ready to fill.

2)      Place the copper or glass bowl over a pot of low-simmering water on the stove.  Do not let the bowl touch the water.Pour the Grand Marnier, sugar and egg yolks into the bowl, in that exact order (dumping sugar over egg yolks can burn them)

3) Using your whisk begin to whip the mixture over the simmering water.  You’re going to get a good upper arm workout here.  Continue to whisk until mixture becomes frothy and pale yellow.  This will take about 8-10 minutes.  Don’t walk away, change arms if you need to.  You’ll know the mixture is ready then you lift the whisk up and the custard that drips back into the bowl takes about 8 seconds to flatten out.

4)      Remove the bowl from the heat, but keep whisking for another 2-3 minutes, allowing the mixture to cool down slightly.  Add the lemon zest and vanilla paste here, keep whisking.

5)      Spoon the Sabayon over the berries and place the cookie sheet with the filled au gratin dishes on it in the broiler until the custard and a light, golden brown on top.  About 1-2 minutes.

                                                                                                      

 Serve Immediately – Makes 4 servings

No one gave me time to plate up the finished product!  They spooned this dessert up so fast!