Blueberries in Gin Syrup

Gourmet (August 2008)

On the evening when we served Grilled Herbed Poussins, our friends E & G were over, and we wanted to also serve a dessert. 

But it needed to be something quick and easy, sincethis was a weeknight meal.  We are working boys, after all.  

Blueberries in Gin Syrup was the exact thing we were looking for.

For this recipe, you simply make a simple syrup using rosemary, sugar and water.  (The recipe also calls for including juniper berries in the syrup, but we omitted them because we just didn't have time to go out and find them.)

While the syrup is still hot, pour it over the blueberries and add a shot of gin.  Let the berries cool, garnish with mint and serve!

Easy enough, right?  

The resulting blueberries are absolutely gorgeous.  Soaking in the syrup, they plump up and get this beautifully shiny, glassy sheen.  They taste deliciously sweet, but there are also faint herbal notes, thanks to the mint and rosemary. 

The gin was only faintly apparent, adding its slight but welcome spice.  The recipe says that it can be omitted. On the flip side, if you really like gin, we think you could add more and it would still be a great dessert.

Either way, this makes for a delicious, light way to end a meal.

When blueberries come back in season next year, we'll definitely be hauling out this recipe again.  Give it a try and let us know what you think.

Blueberries in Gin Syrup
Gourmet (August 2008)
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(this photo: Gourmet)

Serves 6
Active time:10 min
Start to finish:45 min (includes cooling)

An aromatic syrup that calls to mind the clean smell of the forest enhances the flavor of fresh blueberries. Also, since it’s poured over the berries while hot, it colors them a gorgeous sapphire and softens them, making their burst in the mouth even more intense.

    * 1 cup water
    * 3/4 cup sugar
    * 15 juniper berries, crushed
    * 1 (4-inch) rosemary sprig
    * 2 pints blueberries (1 1/2 lb)
    * 1/4 cup dry gin

Garnish:
mint sprigs

Boil water, sugar, juniper berries, rosemary, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved, until reduced to about 3/4 cup, 10 to 12 minutes.

Put blueberries in a heatproof bowl and strain syrup through a sieve over berries. Stir in gin. Macerate until completely cooled, about 30 minutes.

Cooks’ notes:

    * Juniper berries can be found in the spice section of your supermarket.
    * Syrup can be used without gin if desired.
    * Blueberries can be macerated in syrup with gin, chilled, up to 1 day.