Strawberry Angostura Sorbet Recipe • ChefSteps
- 9 years ago
http://www.chefsteps.com/activities/strawberry-angostura-sorbet
Anyone who's been to cocktail bar in the past ten years knows that bitters are as integral to drinking as booze itself. But bitters, a potent concoction of herbs, roots, and spices, have long been overlooked as a flavor agent in American kitchens. The world's most ubiquitous bitters is Angostura. First crafted in 1824 by the surgeon general of Simon Bolivar's Venezuelan army, bitters were marketed as remedy for upset stomach and hiccups. Today, the closely guarded recipe is produced on the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago where cooks add it by the spoonful to stews and marinades.
We think bitters plays equally well with sweet recipes as it does with savory ones. Though it might sound counter-intuitive this strawberry sorbet proves that opposite flavors can be surprisingly complementary—and refreshing. Here, the berries' natural sugars soften the bitterness to reveal Angostura's distinct herbal quality. An even more interesting effect comes from bitters being almost 45% alcohol by volume. Though we add only a small amount, the ethanol presence is enough lower the freezing point of the sorbet. This means you have less ice and more unfrozen syrup at freezer temperature and a softer, easier-to-scoop sorbet. Finally, there is the fun science that ethanol evaporates much more quickly than water. When this happens on your palette, the ethanol carries aroma molecules up into your nasal cavity, heightening the strawberry flavor of the melting sorbet.
At ChefSteps, we don't tell you how to cook, we show you—with recipes designed to inspire and educate, tested techniques for successful results at home, and a lively forum where you'll chat with other chefs and home-cooking enthusiasts.
Visit ChefSteps.com for more videos, recipes, classes, and techniques. http://chfstps.co/1paXXVd
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Anyone who's been to cocktail bar in the past ten years knows that bitters are as integral to drinking as booze itself. But bitters, a potent concoction of herbs, roots, and spices, have long been overlooked as a flavor agent in American kitchens. The world's most ubiquitous bitters is Angostura. First crafted in 1824 by the surgeon general of Simon Bolivar's Venezuelan army, bitters were marketed as remedy for upset stomach and hiccups. Today, the closely guarded recipe is produced on the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago where cooks add it by the spoonful to stews and marinades.
We think bitters plays equally well with sweet recipes as it does with savory ones. Though it might sound counter-intuitive this strawberry sorbet proves that opposite flavors can be surprisingly complementary—and refreshing. Here, the berries' natural sugars soften the bitterness to reveal Angostura's distinct herbal quality. An even more interesting effect comes from bitters being almost 45% alcohol by volume. Though we add only a small amount, the ethanol presence is enough lower the freezing point of the sorbet. This means you have less ice and more unfrozen syrup at freezer temperature and a softer, easier-to-scoop sorbet. Finally, there is the fun science that ethanol evaporates much more quickly than water. When this happens on your palette, the ethanol carries aroma molecules up into your nasal cavity, heightening the strawberry flavor of the melting sorbet.
At ChefSteps, we don't tell you how to cook, we show you—with recipes designed to inspire and educate, tested techniques for successful results at home, and a lively forum where you'll chat with other chefs and home-cooking enthusiasts.
Visit ChefSteps.com for more videos, recipes, classes, and techniques. http://chfstps.co/1paXXVd
Become a member and be the first to know about new recipes, special offers, and goings-on around the kitchen. http://chfstps.