A Celebration Of Sorrel

For this episode of Mmhmm I decided to have a celebration of sorrel in the kitchen with the star ingredient of course being sorrel. While some people might debate over which dish truly represents a Trini Christmas, there is little to no debate on what beverage is synonymous with the festive season. Sorrel is the quintessential beverage where a Trinbagonian Christmas experience is concerned. However I wanted to push the envelope a bit and try something new. I made sorrel jam and sorrel chutney in the past but this was the first time doing a Coconut Sorrel Chai Latte. Given that Sorrel juice actually begins as Sorrel tea, I thought it would be fitting to create something along those lines to show the versatility of the ingredient.

I purchased two varieties of sorrel to experiment with, the bright red ones which I think most people are very familiar with and the dark ones that look almost black that give you a richer, deeper and more flavorful sorrel beverage. Check out the recipe video to see the step by step process for each item and the final taste comparison: A Celebration Of Sorrel

A Celebration Of Sorrel

Sorrel Juice (Red Sorrel)

Ingredients:

• 2lbs red sorrel washed & deseeded
• 14 cups water
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 3 bay leaves
• 12 grains clove
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 star anise

Method:

1. Add water to a pot along with bay leaves, clove, cinnamon, star anise and sorrel
2. Bring to a boil then add sugar and mix until fully dissolved
3. Allow to cool then strain and transfer to a mug or bottle
4. Chill & Enjoy

Sorrel Juice (Dark Sorrel)

Ingredients:

• 2lbs dark sorrel washed & deseeded
• 14 cups water
• 3 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 6 bay leaves
• 24 grains clove
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp grated nutmeg

Method:

1. Add water to a pot along with bay leaves, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and sorrel
2. Bring to a boil then add sugar and mix until fully dissolved
3. Allow to cool then strain and transfer to a mug or bottle
4. Chill & Enjoy

Sorrel Jam

Ingredients:

• leftover sorrel mixture
• 1 cup sorrel juice
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 3″ piece citrus peel
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Add ingredients to a pot
2. Combine well then cook on medium to low heat for 1 hour
3. Remove spices and citrus peel then use a potato masher or food processor to mash mixture
4. Transfer to an airtight jar or container
5. Keep refrigerated

Sorrel Chutney

Ingredients:

• leftover sorrel mixture
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp geera
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 scotch bonnet pepper or 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp mustard oil
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Toast coriander seeds, geera and black peppercorns in a frying pan until fragrant
2. Transfer to a mortar and pestle then grind to a powder
3. Grind garlic cloves and scotch bonnet pepper to a paste
4. Add olive oil to a frying pan then toast spice mix for 30 seconds
5. Add garlic and pepper paste then saute for 30 seconds
6. Add sorrel mixture
7. Season with salt and allow to cook for 15 minutes or until mixture dries out
8. Remove from heat then finish with mustard oil
9. Store in a clean, airtight jar or container

Coconut Sorrel Chai Latte

Ingredients:

• 2 cups coconut milk (you can use regular dairy or any other milk substitute)
• 3 sorrel pods
• 4 cardamom pods, crushed
• 4 grains clove
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• sugar to taste

Method:

1. Add ingredients to a pot
2. Combine well then bring to a boil
3. Reduce heat then allow to simmer for 8 minutes
4. Sweeten to taste
5. Strain and serve hot

Simply Local – Sorrel

Decanted – Sorrel