Fruit Coulis

They seem to turn up on every other restaurant menu these days, but unfortunately rarely fulfill their promise. That's because a celebrity chef who should (and probably does) know better suggested on television that you could take a short cut by using bottled juice and icing sugar.

The result has been plates covered in a sticky sweet goo that kills any flavor put anywhere near it. I can still taste the last one I was served!

To work, a coulis needs to be sharp with an underlying sweetness. This is only ever achieved with fresh, acidic fruit such as raspberries and black currants, cooked with the addition of caster - superfine in the US - sugar.

Use the ingredients below as a guide. You can change the fruit to any of the soft, seeded varieties, but keep the proportions pretty much the same.

350g (12oz) fresh(!) raspberries
110g (4oz) caster sugar

Put all the ingredients in a thick bottomed pan over a low heat and cook for 15 minutes, until the sugar melts and the fruit becomes pulpy, spilling its juice.

Allow to cool slightly, and then push this mix through a sieve. Discard the pulp. Taste the coulis and add a little more sugar if necessary. Allow to cool completely and chill for 30 minutes.

The sauce can be further refined if you wish, by adding a tablespoon of fruit liqueur such as creme de cassis just before serving.

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First published on Qassia