Recipes · Desserts
Rote Grütze (Red Berry Compote) with Vanilla Sauce
AI-written · not yet kitchen-tested
The compote only sets properly in the refrigerator; in the pot it still looks too thin. What matters is bringing the stirred-in cornstarch to a full bubbling boil once, otherwise it does not thicken. The vanilla sauce must never boil, or the egg yolks curdle.
This recipe was written with AI assistance and has not yet been kitchen-tested. Check quantities and times as you cook, and follow safe core temperatures for meat, poultry, fish and eggs.
Ingredients
- 200 g (7.1 oz) red currants fresh or frozen, stripped from the stems
- 200 g (7.1 oz) raspberries fresh or frozen
- 200 g (7.1 oz) strawberries hulled and quartered
- 300 ml (1 1/4 cup) cherry juice or red grape juice
- 70 g (2.5 oz) sugar
- 30 g (1/4 cup) cornstarch about 3 tbsp
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 400 ml (1 3/4 cup) whole milk
- 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise, seeds scraped out
- 3 egg yolks from large eggs
- 40 g (1.4 oz) sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch level
Method
- Pick over the currants and raspberries, hull and quarter the strawberries. Measure out 50 ml (3 1/2 tablespoons) of the cherry juice and stir it smooth with the cornstarch. Bring the remaining juice to a boil with the sugar in a saucepan.
- Add the currants to the juice first and simmer over medium heat for 3 minutes, until the berries burst. Add the strawberries and raspberries and cook for only 1 minute, so they keep their shape.
- Stir the cornstarch mixture once more, pour it into the pot while stirring and bring to a full bubbling boil once, until the compote turns clear and glossy. Take it off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Spoon the compote into a glass bowl or four dessert glasses, press plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent a skin, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
- For the vanilla sauce, bring the milk to a boil with the split vanilla bean and its seeds. Remove from the heat and let it steep for 10 minutes, then take out the pod.
- Beat the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl until creamy. Pour in the hot milk in a thin stream while stirring and return everything to the saucepan.
- Heat over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon; it should reach about 176 °F (80 °C) but must never boil. Strain it through a sieve into a pitcher and let it cool.
- Serve the chilled compote with the vanilla sauce, poured next to it or around it.
Tip: Do not thaw frozen berries; add them to the juice still frozen and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer. If the compote gets too firm in the refrigerator, stir it smooth with 2 tablespoons of juice.
Tip: If the sauce curdles (small flecks), pour it into a cold bowl immediately and blend it smooth with an immersion blender. Because of the egg yolks it should really reach about 176 °F (80 °C); raw or only lukewarm egg yolk is not suitable for pregnant women and small children.