Moira’s Strawberry Creme
Photo by Claudia Alexander
Recently I was in a grocery store in Edinburgh with my good friend Moira. While walking down several aisles full of unfamiliar pre-cooked grains, noodles, pasta sauces, and curry sauces, I was reminded of Jamie Oliver. Remember him? The star of the PBS cooking show The Naked Chef? Each week Jamie Oliver would cook something mouthwatering, sometimes using a pre-cooked ingredient or with only a few ingredients, with the ease and timing that kept his audience loyal and awe-inspired. Moira recommended a couple of items I had never seen before. Modeling the unflappable Jamie Oliver, I decided to buy them. My favorite item turned out to be one that though not pre-cooked, was ready-made. I discovered later it was also mouthwatering AND fast to make. Generally I don’t like pre-packaged food, but this turned out to be delicious and I decided to try and recreate it myself. It tasted like a dessert even though it was packaged like a yogurt. There was some yogurt in there, but the texture was smooth and foamy like a mousse; the added yogurt gave it bit more volume and a slight tang; together with the fruit purée it was the perfect combination of a light, satisfying, warm-weather dessert.
I experimented when I got back to my own kitchen and came up with the following recipe. My first step was to make a strawberry coulis. The word coulis comes from the French word coleïs meaning runny. Originally the term was used to describe the juices that ran from meat after it was cooked, or from roasted vegetables, which were then turned into a gravy or used to thicken a soup. Eventually fruit became also included in the category—when cooked and strained it is a thin sauce.
To keep the texture light and airy, I whipped the yogurt into the whipped cream and then added the cooled strawberry coulis. This recipe makes more coulis than you need, but it is a versatile sauce—great over ice cream, panna cotta, almond cake, or added to a scone recipe. It will keep in the freezer for at least a month.
This is a simple dessert. It took less than 30 minutes to make, and you don’t have to turn on the oven—the definition of a good summer dessert.
Photo by Claudia Alexander
Approx. 6 servings (1/2 cup each)
Strawberry Coulis:
1 lb. strawberries washed hulled and halved
1/3-1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
Instructions:
Put everything in a saucepan and cook over low heat until the berries fall apart, 8-10 minutes.
Take off the heat and purée until smooth with an immersion blender. Strain to get out the seeds and to give it a consistent texture. Set aside while making the crème.
Crème:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup whole milk plain yogurt
1/3 cup of strawberry coulis
Instructions:
Whip cream until you get soft peaks. Add the yogurt and whip again for a minute to combine. Add the coulis and beat again until the color is even—30 seconds. Spoon some of the remaining strawberry coulis into the bottom of a decorative glass and then spoon a scant ½ cup of the cream over the top. Repeat with the remaining glasses.
Let the dessert set in the refrigerator for about one hour. Serve with a slice of strawberry standing up in the crème. Can be made the day before.
