When I was 16, I lived in Denmark for 6 months. Some of my nearest and dearest friends are Danish and I grew up with special Scandinavian traditions and specialities mixed into my life home. I think “rød grød med fløde” or Red Porridge with Cream is the prize of Denmark…well, at least during strawberry season, anyway. It is a simple dessert, consisting of stewed red berries (traditionally strawberries), a little sugar, cornstarch and touch of lemon with a splash of cream. For those of you who have ever visited Denmark, I’m sure you have been asked to pronounce the “impossible”. For those of you planning a visit, start practicing early and prepare yourself for friendly humiliation, as it’s a mouthful. Consider it “Danish hazing” and you’re now in the family.
INGREDIENTS:
Serves 8 (the sweetness of this recipe varies depending on sweetness of your strawberries so taste, taste, taste!)
2.5 lbs Strawberries, cleaned and quartered
1/2 cup sugar (if Strawberries are under ripe, you may want to add a little more sugar)
1 lemon, zest and juice
2 TBS cornstarch mixed with 3 Tbs water
2 TBS Saint Germain Elder Flower Liqueur (optional)
Heavy Whipping Cream
PREPARATION:
Combine strawberries, sugar and zest in a large pot and simmer 15 – 20 minutes on medium-low until strawberries begin to break down and mixture becomes soupy. I like to maintain some of the berry texture in the porridge. You can continue simmering until mixture consistency is to your liking.
Add cornstarch and water mixture. Simmer an additional 3 minutes.
Add lemon juice just before removing from heat to brighten berry flavors.
Place in a temperature safe bowl and chill in fridge for 1+ hour.
Serve in a small bowl with a drizzle of heavy cream.