(this photo by lingster72 on flickr)
if you are an elle magazine reader, or just happen to be in a bookstore over the next few weeks, check out page 303 of the november issue (the one with scarlett johannson on the cover). there's a really lamely written article (i mean, is there anything new left to say about cp?) about an indian summer lunch at cannard farm, with some lovely photos. i helped cook a lot of the food that day, and put my foot down about the redcurrants. when i saw them that morning, i knew we had to sugar them even though we were pressed for time. they were incredibly perfect, and completely worth the effort.
sugared redcurrants
a few bunches of redcurrants
2 egg whites
granulated sugar
make sure the redcurrants are clean and free of debris. trim the redcurrants into 2-inch sized bunches.
lightly whisk the egg whites to break them up.
using a pastry brush, lightly coat the berries with egg whites. be very thorough to prevent gaps, and work quickly so the egg doesn't dry up.
dip the brushed currants in sugar and shake off the excess.
these make a lovely mignardise.
Where does one procure redcurrants in the suburbs? I think the recipe is out of touch with the middle american Elle reader- which let's face it, most Elle subscribers probably are.
ReplyDeleteI think I am pretty well educated in these areas, but OC suburbs are restricted to Ralphs, Trader Joes, and the occasional Whole Foods or Gelsons. Even the farmers markets blow.
Not a critique of you, Samin- you are wonderful, just generally.
It sounds great though. Maybe Gelson's has them.
well, redcurrant season is now over. they had them earlier in the summer here at monterey market, and probably berkeley bowl. i admit it's totally out of touch with the readership. i was just really excited about the redcurrants because i think they're so lovely.
ReplyDeletegelson's might have them, and i think blackcurrants grow a lot better down in socal, anyway. i bet you could scour the farmer's markets for them (maybe santa monica?). what about co-ops? and maybe one of the humungo-whole foods markets might have them?
i love redcurrants and all, but that's an awful lot of effort to put into an after dinner snack.
Interesting. In general, I'd like to get more into the famers markets and see if there are any coops around. I kind of doubt it, in OC...but maybe in more hippified areas of LA...
ReplyDelete(Btw- the photo of the redcurrants is beautiful.)
oh yeah, and i googled redcurrant yesterday and found this lovely pretty site:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.latartinegourmande.com/
Her photos are really pretty.