Summertime is in full swing (or blues…) and short of Tea for Two or Makin’ Whoopee, the only thing to mitigate these St. Louis Blues is a big bowl of something very very cold. Vanilla ice cream is a lovely start, but why stop there?
Out of the blue, I had a hankering for blueberry sauce—which was very convenient since all I had in my fridge were blueberries and limes. (Yay for G&T’s!) A trip to my herb garden yielded a hefty sprig of rosemary for aromatics and a trip to my pantry a few cups of sugar. Done!
First I simmered the blueberries and rosemary in a bit of water to get saucy, then strained out the skins and herbs.
Next, I made a lovely amber caramel. The lighter the caramel the more pronounced the blueberry flavor. I like it on the dark side because it reminds me of creme brûlée. I just discovered this unrefined sugar from Zulka which is a little darker than white sugar and has a slightly caramel-y flavor to start with. It made the caramel even more luscious and rich. I mixed both the caramel and the blueberry liquid together for a quick simmer and left it to cool. When working with caramel, you have to work quickly (the caramel continues to darken even off the heat until you add the liquid) and carefully. Caramel burns are EXCRUCIATING!
Of course it’s amazing on ice cream, but is awesome mixed in yogurt, drizzled on pancakes, waffles or french toast or mixed with mustard and brushed on grilled ribs (use a rosemary branch on the ribs!) Happy Days are Here Again!
BLUEBERRY ROSEMARY CARAMEL SAUCE
Makes 2 cups
Total time: about 20 minutes plus cooling
1 ½ cups blueberries
1 small rosemary sprig
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 cups sugar
In a small saucepan, simmer the berries and rosemary with 3/4 cup of water, crushing until softened and saucy. Strain the liquid, pressing on the solids to remove the skins and herbs and extract as much of the juices as possible. Stir in the lime juice.
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar with 1/2 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cook without stirring over high heat until a deep amber caramel forms, about 5 minutes. Gently swirl the pan to evenly combine the caramel. Off the heat, carefully add the blueberry liquid. When the bubbling subsides, return to a boil and cook over moderate heat until the hardened caramel is dissolved, about 1 minute. Transfer the caramel to a bowl and cool. Serve hot or at room temperature and enjoy! Refrigerate any leftovers, practically indefinitely.
Grace Parisi 