Macerated Strawberries With Black Pepper

Prep time 30 minutes

There is nothing like a big, juicy, sweet strawberry and there is nothing more elegant and simple than this dessert.

The process of macerating involves sprinkling a fruit such as a berry with a little sugar to extract and coat it with its natural juices.

All you need to do is wash and hull strawberries, add sugar and allow them to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. You can also add a splash of liqueur, a good balsamic vinegar or a little lemon juice for added flavor and serve with shredded mint.

I take the recipe a stage further and add freshly cracked black pepper and if you can get Voatsiperifery black pepper, you are in for a special treat.

Voatsiperifery is the name of a wild black pepper from Madagascar. The pepper vines grow high in the trees and the fruits only grow on the young, new grown shoots.

They are hand-harvested from the wild by farmers who go into the forest especially to pick them once a year. Its traditional black pepper flavor has unbelievably aromatic overtones with an earthy, woody taste and distinct citrus notes. 

A dusting of freshly cracked black pepper gives a bowl of chilled macerated strawberries a spark. With its complex and layered flavors, Voatsiperifery raises this simple dessert to another level.

Available from the Curio Spice Co 

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