Enliven early-season strawberries (or ones from your garden that aren't as you'd like) with this delicious syrup, which can be made in advance and stored in the fridge.
Prep time: 10 minutes, plus steeping time. Cook time: 7 minutes.
Ingredients
| 1 cup | caster sugar |
| 1 cup | hot water |
| 2 Tbsp | sumac |
| 5 good grinds | black pepper (about 1 tsp) |
| 1 cup | creme fraiche |
| 2 Tbsp | honey |
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Directions
- Put the sugar and water in a small pot set over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then add the sumac and black pepper. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Cool, then strain through a fine sieve.
- If the strawberries are large, halve or quarter them and add to the syrup. If you're using smaller berries, prick them with a skewer or fork before adding them to the syrup. Cover and let steep for at least 2 hours at room temperature, or in the fridge overnight.
- Just before serving, stir the crème fraîche and honey together. Divide the berries between four plates or bowls. Dollop on some crème fraîche and pour over a generous slosh of the syrup.
Edited extract from Homecooked by Lucy Corry. Photography Carolyn Robertson. Published by Penguin. RRP $55.
