OK, so there’s no balmy weather, but it’s still July and crunch time at Wimbledon and that means we should all be eating strawberries. Of course they are at their most scrumptious eaten straight from stalk to mouth on a hot day when the sun has ripened them to perfect sweetness. But as we know, there is no sun, so here is the alternative way to getting the very best out of your straws. The secret is elderflower cordial. Yep, it’s that simple. And beyond delicious. Try it. And the accompanying recipe for strawberry sorbet is also dead easy and so, so good (the best we’ve tried). Both recipes are by Nigel Slater, torn out of the Observer magazine a year or two ago – much used and cherished ever since.
Strawberries in elderflower
150g strawberries
75ml elderflower cordial
15 small mint leaves
Cut the strawberries in half and put them in a bowl with the elderflower cordial. Chop the mint leaves finely and stir them into the cordial and berries. Cover, refrigerate and leave for a good 30 minutes for the flavours to marry.
Strawberry sorbet
500g strawberries
250g caster sugar
240ml water
the juice of 1 lemon
To make the sorbet, put the sugar in a saucepan with the water and bring to the boil. You can remove it from the heat as soon as the sugar has dissolved. Then set aside to cool.
Rinse and hull the strawberries then whiz them with the lemon juice in a blender or food processor till smooth. Stir the strawberry purée into the cold sugar syrup. Now either pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn till frozen, or pour into a tub and place in the freezer.
Leave for a good couple of hours then remove, and beat the freezing edges into the middle with a whisk. Refreeze for a further two hours then beat once more, again bringing in the ice crystals from the outside into the middle. Return to the freezer till firm.
To serve, place scoops of the sorbet into small bowls, then spoon over the berries and their mint and elderflower syrup.
