Rhubarb Agrodolce
Rhubarb Agrodolce
What if I told you there was a sauce so tangy and tart, it left your mouth watering while adding a slight punch to any meat/vegetable dish.. and I mean ANY dish!? What if I then told you that the same sauce also held a sweetness that rounded it all out stimulating the appetite, leaving you craving yet another bite. Ladies and gents, I now present to you the sweet & sour sauce, agrodolce.
In its most basic form, agrodolce is a sticky sauce made from the reduction of sweet and and sour elements first introduced to the Sicily region of Italy by the Arabs. While agrodolce origins might trace back to Italy, Italian chefs and cooks wouldn’t be the only ones to add opposing elements together to create balance. The Chinese have “sweet & sour” sauce, while the French would go on to create the “gastrique” both being made from creating an equal balance between the two opposing elements. If we’re going even further back, a sauce done in a similar manner dates as far back to the Middle Ages, when Roman Empires would use fruit, wine and vinegar to create a relish like sauce.
For todays recipe, we take a more modern new American approach by sourcing ingredients that are in peak season to create a well balance sauce, both vibrant in color and flavors. Leading the way we have Rhubarb, the red celery look alike that packs a sour taste when consumed raw making it ideal for a sauce like agrodolce. Paired with strawberries and honey, we reduce this sauce down to find a balance that can be used for both savory and sweet applications.
Rhubarb Fun Facts:
- Rhubarb season runs from April through roughly June with stalks in the earlier half being more tender
- When purchasing rhubarb, look for stalks that are vibrant in color and crisp to the touch. Stallks shouldn’t be soft or brown, as this is a sign of old age.
- Rhubarb is a significant source of vitamins C and K, calcium, iron, fiber, potassium, and manganese
- Rhubarb has healing properties that helps regulate the gut and digestive system.
Ingredients:
Rhubarb 345g
Sherry Vin. 130g
Rice Wine Vin. 100g
Honey 5 Tbsp
Sugar 195g
Strawberries 145g
Fresno Chilis 1/2 ea
Thyme 6g
Water 660g
Salt TT
Method:
Place all ingredients but strawberries into a medium sized sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once sauce reaches a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and allow to cook down for 5 minutes until slightly syrupy. Allow to cool. Once fulled cooled completely, add fruit mixture into vitamin blender along with strawberries. Blitz, strain and season w/ salt to taste.
