Rote Grutze German Berry Compote Recipes

GERMAN ROTE GRüTZE

Steps:

• 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 bit of juice.
• 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.
• Serve with a small pitcher of fresh, cold heavy cream to pour over the Rote Grütze.

RED BERRY FRUIT COMPOTE (GERMAN ROTE GRüTZE)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over a medium heat, cook the fruits in their juices and syrup, along with 150ml of the cranberry juice, the vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar and rosewater for about 20 mins or until the fruits are soft.
• In a separate bowl, mix the remaining cranberry juice with the cornflour until it becomes smooth and milky without any lumps. Pour slowly into the hot fruit and continue stirring until mixed in well - the compote will thicken after a couple of mins. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving for best results in texture and flavour. Will keep for up to 1 week.
• Serve the compote in ramekins, small bowls or clean jam jars, with a generous dollop of vanilla custard. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings and pomegranate seeds on top, and finish with the mint leaves.

ROTE GRüTZE (RED BERRY DESSERT)

Steps:

• If you're using fresh fruit, wash the fruit and dry it. Remove the pits, stems, etc., and cut them into smaller pieces where necessary (e.g. when using strawberries). If you are using frozen berries, take them out of the freezer.
• Add the red fruit juice to a medium-sized pot.
• In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 3-4 tablespoons of fruit juice from the pot. Mix until the cornstarch has dissolved.
• Add the sugar and vanilla extract to the fruit juice in the pot and mix. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove it from the heat. Pour in the dissolved cornstarch while whisking constantly.
• Now add the fresh or frozen berries to the pot with the thickened fruit juice. Stir gently to break as few berries as possible. Return the pot to the hot burner and let the berries simmer on low heat for a few minutes. This will take slightly longer for frozen berries than for fresh berries.
• Once you are happy with the consistency of the berries, pour or ladle the Rote Grütze into bowls. Don't worry if it still appears liquidy, it will get a firmer consistency as it cools. You can sprinkle some sugar on top of the berries or cover them with cling film (it should touch the top of the berries) to avoid skin from forming. Place the bowls in the fridge to chill.
• You can serve Rote Grütze with cold unwhipped cream, vanilla sauce, vanilla ice cream, or normal whipped cream.