Wild Blueberries with Crème Fraiche and Meadowsweet
Cooked wild blueberries, fresh frozen wild blueberries, and thick creme fraiche flavored with wild herbs and maple sugar makes for a refreshing dessert.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Chilling time20 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Maple sugar, Meadowsweet, Wild blueberries
1.5tablespoonsmaple sugar or 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
A few scrapes of lemon zestto taste
Tiny pinch of kosher salt
Creme Fraiche (makes more than you need)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
¼ cup buttermilk
Instructions
Creme Fraiche (optional)
Combine the cream, a few scrapes of lemon zest, and yogurt or buttermilk, whisk and store covered with cheesecloth in a container like a mason jar, pushing the bouquet to the bottom of the jar ensure proper infusion at room temperature for 72 hours, or until creamy and thick, like sour cream. Refrigerate. The creme fraiche will tighten as it chills.
Assembly
Reserve 1 cup of blueberries and put them in the freezer to chill for 20 minutes.
Put the 2 cups of blueberries in a small sauce pan and cook over medium heat with the pinch of salt until the pan is nearly dry and the berries are syrupy, about 15-20 minutes. Chill the berries completely, and keep the other 1 cup frozen.
Meanwhile, whip the crème fraiche with the sugar to soft peaks.
From here, the cooked blueberries and whipped crème fraiche can be chilled until serving time.
To serve, transfer the cooked blueberries and their juice (scraping the container out with a spatula) into a bowl.
Mix the berry compote with the frozen blueberries, then very gently fold in the cream. Do not completely mix in the cream, as the dish should have a marbled effect.
Spoon the berries and cream into small mounds on 4 small, chilled dessert plates, garnish with a few scrapes of lemon zest from a coarse grater, and serve imediately. The half-frozen fruit will thaw quickly and helps the cream hold its shape.
Notes
Blueberries
Use 1 lb fresh or frozen blueberries if you use purchased ones from a grocery store. Divide the berries in thirds and proceed as per the recipe.