Green Gooseberry and Elderflower Compôte
Preparation info
Difficulty
Easy
serves
6–8
Appears in
Darina Allen's Simply Delicious Suppers
By Darina Allen
Published 2001
When I’m driving through country lanes in late May or early June and I spy the elderflower coming into blossom, I know it’s time to go and search on gooseberry bushes for the hard, green fruit, far too under-ripe at that stage to eat raw, but wonderful cooked in tarts or fools or in this delicious compôte. Elder-flowers have an extraordinary affinity with green gooseberries and by a happy arrangement of nature they are both in season at the same time.
Ingredients
900 g 2 or 3 450 g 600 ml
Garnish
- fresh elderflowers
Method
First top and tail the gooseberries. Tie the elderflower heads in a little square of muslin, put in a stainless steel or enamelled saucepan, add the sugar and cold water. Bring slowly to the boil and continue to boil for 2 minutes. Add the gooseberries and simmer just until the fruit bursts. Allow to get cold. Serve in a pretty bowl and decorate with fresh elderflowers.
© 2001 Darina Allen. All rights reserved.