Coulis and Gastriques

A coulis is a thick-ish fruit puree that consists of fruit, sugar and a balancing acid. A gastrique is a thick-ish sauce made from sugar, vinegar and fruit or fruit juice. While gastriques are generally used in savory preparations (think pork, duck, or venison), both sauces have their place in the dessert world. Make whichever one you think will complement your main attraction.

Coulis

What You'll Need

How to Do It

Heat fruit, sugar and salt with a little water to get things going. Bring to a boil.

Turn heat down and simmer sauce until reduced by about 1/3.

Add citrus juice to balance the sweetness--start with 1 tablespoon and go from there, if necessary. Strain and cool.

You can also use frozen fruit puree, if you can get your hands on some. In that case:

Heat about 1/2 the puree with the sugar/salt/water.

Bring to a boil and then, at a simmer, reduce by 1/2. Stir in the rest of the puree off the heat. This will help to keep the color brighter.

Gastrique

What You'll Need

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar (any kind but distilled white vinegar. There are tons of different vinegars out there, so use what will complement your fruit)
1 cup fruit juice or puree

Heat all ingredients together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until somewhat reduced and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Strain and cool.

You can also take a naturally sweet vinegar, such as balsamic or pomegranate, and slowly reduce it to a syrup by simmering until you achieve a syrup.

***As in the above picture, a gastrique is most often thought of as a savory garnish, often for game such as venison or duck.

A gastrique can help balance a very sweet dessert. Think of balsamic vinegar on strawberries. Same idea.