Fruity Friday…The Juniper Berry…

 

Welcome to Fruity Fridays today it is the lovely Juniper Berry something I hadn’t used in recipes until I moved to Thailand… Where I discovered that Juniper Berries…..make a beautiful sauce.

The Juniper grows either on a beautiful evergreen tree which can grow as high as 131 ft or Junipers come on small low growing spreading shrubs so depending on where in the world you are you should able to find these luscious little berries although I use them dried and they are very nice.

They are the only spice which comes from a conifer tree and the spice is used in a variety of cuisines and culinary dishes.

The extract is also used to make essential oils.

Also Girls just in case you didn’t know it the primary flavour in Gin… Oh yes, one of those would go down very nicely at the moment…lol

The berries are green when young, and mature to a purple-black colour over about 18 months in most species. The mature, dark berries are usually but not exclusively used in cookery, while your Gin ladies is flavoured with fully grown but immature green berries.

Paired with game meat like Venison, quail or pheasant it makes a great sauce.

Juniper Sauce:

quail-727968_1920

Ingredients:

  • 1 banana shallot peeled and finely chopped.
  • 8 juniper berries very lightly crushed.
  • 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped.
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 200 ml white burgundy or a dry white wine.
  • 4 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 40 gm butter
  • 25 gm flour
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves.
  • 300 ml venison stock
  • 100 ml double cream
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Let’s Cook!

Put shallot, garlic, sugar, white wine vinegar, juniper berries, white wine and thyme in a pan and bring to the boil.

Lower the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes this needs to reduce to about 2 tbsp.

In another pan melt the butter and whisk in the flour to make a roux.  Strain your wine reduction through a fine sieve and still whisking…we don’t want a lumpy sauce now do we? Add the wine reduction….keep whisking!

Pick out the juniper berries and add to the sauce. Keep whisking and add the stock slowly now….to the sauce a ladle at a time.  Cook the sauce for 10 mins or until it coats the back of a spoon.

Finally, pour in the cream and bring to a very slow simmer.

Remove from the heat and season.

The sauce can be used immediately or reheated when it is needed.

This is a beautiful sauce over when poured over a  luscious piece of beautifully cooked venison or my favourite quail… if you have guests for dinner or just for that special occasion.

Enjoy!

Juniper berries are used widely in European and Scandinavian cuisine they go especially well with wild birds and game.

My next recipe was given to me by my Swiss friend Marianne and it was a recipe which her mother used to make every single weekend for her father…A family tradition. I have copied Marianne’s recipe exactly as she gave it too me..no changes…

Marianne’s Recipe:

Surre Moche- Swiss-recipe- authentic

The beef marinating in the red wine

Tip: 1dl equals 100ml.

Sauerbraten ( Suure Moche) is popular in many regions of Switzerland, but the taste is always unique because it is marinated in the local wine. Those that do not have their own wine add vinegar to the marinade and bind the sauce with sour cream.
 
1kg (2,2 lbs) beef chuck, eg. shoulder, 1/2 celery root,1 leek, 2 carrots, 1 garlic clove, 1 clove, 6 juniper berries, 4 cardamom seeds, 4 coriander seeds, 12 peppercorns, thyme 1, Liter (1 gt) wine, 2dl (3/4 C) liquid instant gravy, 3 Tbs butter, 1 Tbs flour, salt, pepper, 2 Tbs sour cream, 1 piece dark bread (end piece)
 
Dice half of the vegetables and cut half of the herbs into fine strips. Bring to boil in 7 dl (2 3/4 C)wine. Place the meat in a deep bowl and pour over the hot marinade. Let stand in a cool place for 5 days. Be sure that the meat is always completely covered with wine.
After the 5 days have passed, remove the meat and pour out the marinade. Dab the meat dry with paper towelling. Sauté on all sides in 2 Tbs butter. Add the remaining chopped vegetables, herbs and bread. Let steam briefly, then pour in 3 dl (1 1/4 C) wine and simmer slowly for 2 hours. Add the dissolved instant gravy and reduce slightly. Knead the flour with the rest of the butter and stir into the sauce.
Season with salt and pepper and enhance with sour cream. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
Serve with mashed potatoes.
The family Verdict:  We all liked it very much and when cooked the sauce was thicker…the
taste fairly similar to a boeuf bourguignon.

 

Thank you for reading I hope you all have a great weekend xxx

21 thoughts on “Fruity Friday…The Juniper Berry…”

  1. Pingback: The Culinary Alphabet …..A-Z…Series 3… the letter I… | Retired? No one told me!

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      4. CarolCooks2 Post author

        I just don’t understand the mindset, Sally we just are not allowed in a shop without a mask end of and no one argues..the shops should have security guards to deter people after all they may not care but I am sure those like you who wear a mask do..No wonder it is carrying on and probably will until next year and there was me looking forward to 2021 xxx

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