Balsamic Strawberry Crumble

So hear me out. Unless you’re familiar with the Italian way of eating strawberries, called Fragole all’aceto balsamico from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, then the next three words might sound odd. Strawberries, balsamic vinegar and black pepper. Honestly, they’re a match made in heaven and I prefer it to the classic British way, strawberries and cream. But then a brainwave struck me. If I bake the Italian version into a crumble, then I can add pouring cream too (or yoghurt / crème fraiche) and get the best of both worlds.

Here in Wales, our strawberry season is in full swing but I can already feel it coming to an end (which happens far too soon every year). So I wanted to share this recipe as soon as possible as it’s a great way to enjoy all those ugly little strawberries that have been nibbled by something else in the garden before we could get them.

Fragole All’aceto Balsamico

If you wish to try the traditional version then it takes about 30 minutes and involves just two steps. The trick with this recipe is a technique called maceration. Sprinkle the strawberries with a teaspoon of sugar and leave them for 30 minutes at room temperature. During this time the sugar will leach juices from the strawberries and dissolve into it. Once 30 minutes have passed, plate up the strawberries and drizzle with a touch of balsamic vinegar, then eat right away. As you do, sit in a sunny spot and close your eyes. Welcome to Italy.

Balsamic Vinegar

Balsamic vinegar burst into the mainstream in the 1970s when fine dining restaurants started sprinkling it on everything. Since then, industrial and processed versions have become commonplace on all supermarket shelves, but these pale in comparison to the real thing.

According to the standard DOP (Denominazione d'Origine Protetta | Protected Designation of Origin), balsamic vinegar can only truly come from two places in Italy, Modena and Emilia-Romagna. But balsamic vinegar is special because it is made from juice extracted from the grape must (the skin and pulp leftover from the pressing for wine) and aged for a very long time via a system of wooden casks (a minimum of 12 years). It is very dark, concentrated and intensely fruity with caramel notes. Contrary to what it’s name implies, balsamic vinegar doesn’t contain any balsam, a resinous exudate from certain trees and shrubs, but in fact gets its name from a balm or elixir, a substance with curative or restorative qualities. There is evidence that as far back as ancient Rome the Italians would recommend balsamic vinegar in medical practices.

The oldest balsamic vinegar I have ever tried was actually Spanish, from the DO Montilla-Moriles, made from the Pedro Ximenez grape, dried into raisins to intensify the flavour. This vinegar was aged for 50 years through a traditional solera system, whereby the vinegar is fed down through a series of oak barrels piled up in tiers. It was a thick, fruity syrup, with an almost spicy raisin profile. Truly stunning. If you’re interested, here is a link to the supplier, Ultracomida.

You don’t have to buy such an expensive vinegar as this, but make sure you look out for a DO or DOP on the label as this will mark a true balsamic, not one that has been watered down with red wine vinegar and sweetened with caramel.

Strawberry Crumble Recipe
Serves 3

Topping Ingredients:

• 250g Plain wholemeal flour

• 130g Demerara sugar

• 40g Rolled oats

• 125g Unsalted butter

• 1tsp Vanilla paste / extract

• 1 Pinch of salt

Fruit Ingredients:

• 350g Strawberries

• 5tbs Balsamic vinegar

• 2tbs Date syrup / maple syrup or honey

• 2-3 Twists of black pepper

Pouring cream, yoghurt, crème fraiche. Whichever you fancy.

Step 1.

Preheat the oven at 180C/356F. Put all the topping ingredients into a mixing bowl and crush the butter into the flour by hand until it resembles a sandy, crumbly dough. (This is much easier if you’ve left the butter out for 20-30 minutes beforehand).

Step 2.

Remove the strawberry tops and around them in a 20cm round baking dish. I like to leave them whole for this as it preserves just a hint of texture to them once baked, but feel free to chop them up if you’d rather.

Add the vinegar, black pepper and syrup or honey, then cover with handfuls of the crumble topping until all the strawberries are hidden from view. There is no need to mix the fruit ingredients together as the strawberries release a lot of juice as they bake, which will bubble up and mix everything for us.

Step 3.

Place the crumble on the middle shelf of the oven with a lined baking tray on the shelf below (there is a good chance the strawberries may bubble over). Bake the crumble for 30-40 minutes until golden brown, then serve it as soon as it’s cool enough to handle. Pop a dollop of creamy thing on the side and enjoy.