The arrival of summer in the United Kingdom signifies strawberry season, but there is much more to this bright and juicy fruit than traditional jams and tarts. Naturally sweet strawberries can be used to balance out otherwise savory dishes, including gazpacho and salsa. Here are ten savory ways that top chefs utilize a punnet of strawberries, sans sugar, and cream.
Salmon with pickled strawberries
This is the recipe of our sous-chef Khanh Tran-Thanh. To garnish the turbot sashimi, we use fresh alpine strawberries, which are slightly more tart. Begin by preparing a light pickle by combining one part sugar, two parts rice wine vinegar, and two parts water, and then boil with peeled ginger and deseeded chili. Slice the strawberries thinly and add them to the pickling mixture for 4-5 hours. This is a quick pickle to preserve the acidity and color of the fruit.
To create a dressing, we also puree strawberries and combine them with olive oil, ginger, mirin, rice vinegar, and yuzu kosho. Then, thinly slice and score the raw turbot, top with the dressing and strawberry relish, and serve.
Strawberry salad accompanied by strawberry salsa
Combine a large handful of chopped fresh coriander, 20 mint leaves, and 2 bird’s-eye chilies (or 1 tsp chili flakes/1/2 tsp chili powder) with the juice of 1 lime, a pinch of salt, and 150g of diced strawberries. Add 4 ml olive oil and 1 small shallot diced (optional). This salsa will be good for several days. Then, make your salad: rocket and strawberries are a match made in heaven, so start with that as your base. Peel and dice some sweet potatoes, then roast in the oven for eight minutes. Halve 400g of strawberries, then mix with the rocket and sweet potatoes in a big bowl. You may either spoon or stir the salsa into the dish.
Medallions of pork with strawberry sauce
Being Persian, we use fruit a lot in savory recipes. Hull and halve 250g strawberries and place them in an oven tray. Toss with 1 tbsp sugar, 3-star anise, and a little lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, then roast at 200C for 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Then, extract the star anise and leave the mix to become jammy. Roll lean pork fillet in ras-el-hanout or any spice mix you like, and pan-fry over medium/hot heat for 8-10 minutes on each side, then rest. Place the strawberry sauce in the same pan as the meat to absorb any remaining juices, then reduce and serve alongside the meat.
Spicy strawberry jam
Strawberry production is abundant in South America, and I enjoy turning them into fruity ketchup. In a small amount of olive oil, sauté 100g chopped shallots with 50-80g spicy chilies (depending on the chili; if using scotch bonnet, 25g is sufficient). Add 100g of red wine and 100g of red vinegar, then 400g of sugar and 1 kilogram of strawberries. Season with salt and Worcestershire sauce after reducing. Blend until a jammy consistency is achieved, then serve with pork crackling or deep-fried chicken wings. The combination of sweet and spicy flavors cleanses the palate.
Strawberry salad platter
I enjoy making strawberries the centerpiece of a salad. For this dish, begin by pulverizing 3 tomatoes, 1 cucumber, and 1 shallot with 1 clove of garlic, spices, and herbs. Then, strain to obtain tomato-flavored water to combine with olive oil and vinegar in a dressing. Assemble the salad by slicing a fennel bulb, an additional cucumber, and a red onion, then tossing with watercress, mint, lovage, and purple basil. If you have a barbecue, pickle some strawberries (slice and soak in balsamic vinegar for five minutes), leave some fresh, and grill a few. Spread over the watercress base, then add the dressing, fresh herbs, and olive oil to taste.
Ice lollies with strawberry, lime, and chili powder
I prepare these for my children; they enjoy their simplicity. Blend 2 punnets of strawberries with 12 cups water, 2 tablespoons agave syrup, and the juice of 1 lime to make 10 lollipops. Then, pour the mixture into ice pop molds and freeze. Before serving, dip in chili powder: in Mexico, we love Tajn, a chili powder with salt and lime (it’s also great for margaritas). We consume it with all foods, especially fruit. Do not add it to the lolly mix, as the salt will prevent it from freezing properly. The sweetness of the strawberries pairs wonderfully with the heat of the chili.
Duck served with pickled strawberries and whipped potatoes.
Strawberry purists, please step away! For the more adventurous, however, pickled strawberries are the ideal accompaniment to fatty, slightly gamey roast duck and silky whipped potatoes. Simply bring 150ml of white wine vinegar, 50g of caster sugar, 50ml of water, 1-star anise, and half a teaspoon of chili flakes to a boil. Wait until the mixture has cooled before adding a handful of strawberries. Allow them to sit for twenty minutes so that the fruit is still sweet but slightly pickled. Then, serve the strawberries alongside the duck and potatoes for a combination that is both unexpected and highly satisfying.
Strawberry gazpacho
This recipe yields four servings, plus seconds, of a fruity gazpacho that is ideal for summer. Toss together four ripe vine tomatoes, one clove of chopped garlic, a few sprigs of thyme, one finely chopped shallot, one chopped red pepper, and 500 grams of strawberries with one teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of caster sugar, and a pinch of black pepper. Allow to macerate in the refrigerator for up to one hour, then puree with a few mint leaves. Add 300 ml olive oil to thicken the sauce. Serve with a few strawberry slices and a drizzle of olive oil. Don’t forget to chill your bowls to ensure that they remain cool.
Salad of strawberries, burrata, and pink peppercorns
Sweet and savory always compliment each other well. My parents have an allotment where they grow strawberries, and we always eat strawberry salads in the summer. I simply cut strawberries and cherry or plum tomatoes in half, then combine them with basil pesto and basil vinaigrette (made by infusing olive oil with fresh basil and combining with white wine vinegar). I then sprinkle the salad with fresh baby basil leaves, crushed pink peppercorns, and sea salt before topping it with burrata or mozzarella. Serve with Pimm’s, complete with cucumber and additional strawberries, and fresh sourdough bread.
Strawberry and beef steak
Once, for a staff lunch, we had Sichuan-coated grilled sirloin steak that was sliced very thinly and flash-fried and served with leftover wild strawberries from a cheesecake that was on the menu. We soaked them for 10 minutes in aged balsamic vinegar to give them a boost. Then, we grilled pak choi, diced it, and combined it with rocket, spring onions, and balsamic strawberries. We dressed the greens with 1 minced garlic clove, 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, a drizzle of sesame oil, lime juice, soy sauce, and a touch of honey, then topped them with steak. It is pungent and sour food.
