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:
- Add water to a pot along with bay leaves, clove, cinnamon, star anise and sorrel
- Bring to a boil then add sugar and mix until fully dissolved
- Allow to cool then strain and transfer to a mug or bottle
- 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:
- Add water to a pot along with bay leaves, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and sorrel
- Bring to a boil then add sugar and mix until fully dissolved
- Allow to cool then strain and transfer to a mug or bottle
- 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:
- Add ingredients to a pot
- Combine well then cook on medium to low heat for 1 hour
- Remove spices and citrus peel then use a potato masher or food processor to mash mixture
- Transfer to an airtight jar or container
- 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:
- Toast coriander seeds, geera and black peppercorns in a frying pan until fragrant
- Transfer to a mortar and pestle then grind to a powder
- Grind garlic cloves and scotch bonnet pepper to a paste
- Add olive oil to a frying pan then toast spice mix for 30 seconds
- Add garlic and pepper paste then saute for 30 seconds
- Add sorrel mixture
- Season with salt and allow to cook for 15 minutes or until mixture dries out
- Remove from heat then finish with mustard oil
- 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:
- Add ingredients to a pot
- Combine well then bring to a boil
- Reduce heat then allow to simmer for 8 minutes
- Sweeten to taste
- Strain and serve hot
