August 2021 Recipe of the Month

 

Sorrel Recipes

Shared by Carlotta P.

Carlotta has three favorite ways to use sorrel in cooking.

Grilled or smoked fish

Using whole trout fill the cavity with the following:

2 large sorrel leaves
1 or 2 sliced garlic cloves
1 large sprig of thyme
A drizzle of olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Grill or smoke fish to preferred doneness.  I like mine just barely done.  Serve with lemon slices.

 

Carlotta’s sorrel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorrel pesto for chicken

This is a very adaptable recipe and can be altered to whatever herbs you prefer.

 

In a small bowl or mortar blend together well the following:

2 garlic cloves
2 sorrel leaves
Fresh sage leaves 3-4
Summer savory or rosemary 2-3 sprigs
Tarragon 1 sprig
1/2 tsp. Paprika
A pinch of cayenne
3 Tbls. Olive oil
A little salt and pepper

Loosen skin on chicken.
Rub a little of the pesto into the cavity.
Stuff more of the pesto under the loose skin especially the breast and leg areas.
Rub any remaining pesto on top of the chicken and sprinkle generously with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Bake at 350 for about an hour or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Or grill 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours on indirect medium heat (350-450 degrees).

Sorrel Soup, French Style

Carlotta made this delicious soup for our Garden Tea

From HuntGatherCook by Hank Shaw

You will need a fair bit of sorrel to make this recipe, as it cooks down into a puree alarmingly fast. You can buy sorrel at some fancy supermarkets, a lot of farmer’s markets in the spring — or you can garden your own or forage for it. (If you want to plant it in your garden, you can buy sorrel seed online.) If you can’t find it, substitute watercress and use sour cream instead of regular cream.

 

Ingredients

  • 4tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1/2cup chopped green onions, ramps or other wild onion
  • 4-6cups of chopped sorrel, packed
  • Salt
  • 3tablespoons flour
  • 1quart chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • 2egg yolks
  • 1/2cup cream

Instructions

  1. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the green onions or ramps and turn the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and cook gently for 10 minutes.
  2. While the onions are cooking, pour the stock into another pot and bring to a simmer.
  3. Turn the heat up, add the sorrel leaves and a healthy pinch of salt to the pot with the onions and stir well. When the sorrel is mostly wilted, turn the heat back to medium-low, cover and cook 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Mix in the flour and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
  4. Whisk in the hot stock, stirring constantly. Bring this to a simmer.
  5. To finish the soup, whisk together the egg yolks and cream. Temper the mixture by ladling a little soup into it with one hand, while you whisk the egg-cream mix with the other. Repeat this three times. (You are doing this to prevent the eggs from scrambling) Now start whisking the soup. Pour the hot egg-cream-soup mixture into the pot with the soup, whisking all the way. Add the final tablespoon of butter. Let this cook — below a simmer — for 5 minutes. Do not let it boil or the soup will break. Serve at once.