(can also be called: Rødgrød, or rode Grütt, depending on where you are from)
Switching gears here from something that is “typically Maine” (my Corn, Bacon and Lobster Chowder, previous post) to something typically “northern German”. Or maybe Northern European, because as I did my research for this dessert, I found that a number or Scandinavian, the Netherlands, Belgium, etc all had similar dishes. This is what in German is called Rote Grütze. It’s a fruit/berrry compote, slightly thickened, with predominantly red fruits and berries (“rot” is red in German). I used strawberries, raspberries, red and black currants but you could also use cherries (sweet or tart), plums, blueberries or blackberries.And I am sure I am missing some. It’s sweet and tart and very refreshing. I made a mascarpone whipped cream, but also can be served with just cream (unwhipped), ice cream or a custard sauce.
Ingredients
for the Berry Dessert
4-5 cups berries (any combo of fresh or frozen raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, red or black currants)
1/2 cup sugar*
1/2 cup red fruit juice
1/4 cup corn or tapioca starch
fresh berries to garnish
for the Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1 cup mascapone
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
mint leaves to garnish (optional)
Directions
Wash and cut berries as needed.
Add fresh or frozen berries and sugar to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. If using fresh berries, you may need to add a splash of juice. The fruit should be tart, not overly sweet, but you may eed to add a little bit more sugar, depending on your combination of berries.
In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and juice until smooth. Pour into the fruit and stir. Reduce heat and let simmer for 1-3 minutes or until it thickens up a bit. If the mixture becomes too thick, add more fruit juice to thin. Take off heat, pour into 4 bowls, and let cool.
To make the whipped cream, whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla extract with very cold beaters until stiff peaks form. Loosen and whisk the mascarpone, then carefully fold into the whipped cream, being gentle as not to deflate the whipped cream. Chill for a minimum of 10 minutes before dolloping onto the Rote Grütze. Garnish with fresh fruit and mint leaves, then serve.
