Sorrel

Sorrel is a flowering annual that is just coming into season in Trinidad and Grenada.  It is used in a variety of cooking here at Christmas time including syrups, liqueurs, jams, cakes and refreshing tart drinks.

Anne of sv Receta emailed me her favorite sorrel drink receipe with a warning "Dont wear white while making it, the red won't come out if you get it on yourself."   She got it from Wendy Rahamut, a local Trinidad cookbook author and host of a cooking show.

I spotted several vendors at the market in Trinidad selling the dark red dried flowers.  But since we were leaving soon, I chickened out of trying to make some.  As luck would have it, we went for happy hour at sv Asseance.  Heather had purchased a couple of pounds of sorrel that morning at the market and made a huge batch of sorrel drink.  It was yummy.  

Recipes vary in the amounts of sugar and spices you add depending on the cooks preference.  I tried some black sorrel drink at the market.  Only after I purchased it and began asking questions did the local cook tell me it was black sorrel and not to buy that kind when making my own sorrel.  "I don't like it and I won't be buying that kind again."  I agreed with her.  I did not care for it.  

I hope to make some in Grenada or Carriacou before the holiday season is gone.

Per Ann's email -Wendy's recipe

7 oz fresh sorrel (seed removed)

1 piece spice (cinnamon stick)

2 allspice berries 

2 cloves

2 good-sized slices ginger

1 bay leaf (preferably the type that grows in this part of the world) - ie...fresh Caribbean bay leaf

5 cups boiling water

simple sugar syrup (see below) or cane syrup (sold in the French Islands, the stuff used in ti punch)

 Put cleaned sorrel and all herbs and spices in a pot and pour boiling water over top. Cover tightly, and allow to steep overnight. Strain, pressing on the sorrel to squeeze out all the liquid, and sweeten to taste with sugar syrup. (The colour will be mostly gone from the sorrel sepals by this point.)

 Chill thoroughly and serve over lots of ice, straight, or with rum.

Simple sugar syrup: Combine equal parts (by volume) of sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar goes into solution. Cool and store in fridge. Make about a cup for the quantity above, though you may not use all of it.

A bit of nutmeg with the other spices wouldn’t do any harm. Several people mentioned nutmeg in their ingredients when I asked them how they make their sorrel. The recipe in A Carriacou Cookbook included 1 strip dried or 2 strips fresh orange peel.