So…I’ll admit that I didn’t think that the mulberry was an actual fruit before yesterday–at least not one that we still eat. I figured…eh, it’s probably one of those things that the Native Americans used to snack on and dye their clothes with (because these suckers dyed my fingers purple for days), or that the pilgrims might have baked into something resembling pie.
A fruit that once played a big part in people’s lives, but has since disappeared from our collective culinary consciousness. I mean, a “Mulberry” is…a woman’s handbag. Or a type of bush that some roguish monkey chased some rapscallion weasel around. You know, “all around the mulberry bush…”
Literally the only two associations I could make.
Turns out the mulberry is alive and well in some small circles, and they just happen to be available at our local market for a short five to ten day window each year. They look kind of like blackberries, but slightly more elongated, and they have a very mild, delicate flavor that’s not quite as sweet or tart as most berries. At least the ones we had. This was my first mulberry experience, so I can’t speak for them all.
When blessed with this small-scale berry bounty oh so rare here in Beijing (a box of blueberries, usually imported, can run you upwards of ten dollars. DOLLARS. It’s infuriating. And the strawberries have so many pesticides on them, you’re lucky if your lips don’t double in size after innocently scarfing one down), I thought long and hard about what I should do with them.
They were very mild in flavor, so I decided to do a simple berry galette (a great solution when you don’t have the large amount of berries or youthful vigor to make a full-scale tart or pie), adding just a bit of lemon juice and sugar to the berries. A galette is so much easier to make, but just as good.
We ended up buying boxes and boxes of them, washing them, and freezing them. TIP: When you’re washing and freezing berries, and want to prevent them from sticking together and forming lots of ice, dry them before putting them in the freezer bag.
The best way we’ve discovered is to whizz them in a salad spinner. More delicate berries like raspberries probably can’t take the salad spinner tornado, but this method really works well for sturdy berries like these mulberries, blueberries, etc.
Mulberry Galette: Recipe Instructions
Start by making the crust. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle in the ice water and mix until it comes together to form a dough. Form into a disk and refrigerate, covered, for 20 minutes or until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the berries, lemon juice, sugar, and flour in a bowl to make the filling.
On a piece of parchment paper, roll out the dough into a 13-inch round. Transfer the dough circle (along with the parchment) to a baking sheet. Pour the berries in the center of the circle and spread out, leaving a 2-inch border around the edge.
Fold the edge up over the filling. Dot the last tablespoon of butter over the berries and brush the dough lightly with egg wash. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown.
In the last ten minutes of baking, make the vanilla sauce. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until the yolks are thick and pale yellow, about 2-3 minutes.
In a saucepan, scald the milk (until it’s just under boiling). Temper the egg yolks by gradually adding a quarter cup of the milk mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly.
Then gradually whisk the yolk mixture into the rest of the milk. Continue whisking over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat, whisk in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
Let the galette and the sauce cool slightly. Slice the tart and serve with a drizzle of warm vanilla sauce.
Enjoy this one, everyone! If you’re interested in going more full-monty with a pie, try our Summer Berry Pie recipe. It’ll make you a happier person.
If you want to be REALLY happy, try the Peach Pie.
Have any of you ever had mulberries? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
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Recipe
Mulberry Galette with Vanilla Sauce
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST:
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 7 tablespoons butter (cold, cubed)
- 3 tablespoons ice water
FOR THE FILLING:
- 3 ½ cups mulberries (picked through and washed; you can also use blackberries, raspberries, or a mix of both)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 egg (beaten with 2 teaspoons water)
FOR THE SAUCE:
- 2 egg yolks (beaten)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Start by making the crust. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle in the ice water and mix until it comes together to form a dough. Form into a disk and refrigerate, covered, for 20 minutes or until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the berries, lemon juice, sugar, and flour in a bowl to make the filling. Roll out the dough into a 13-inch round and lay it on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Pour the berries in the center of the circle and spread out, leaving a 2-inch border around the edge. Fold the edge up over the filling. Dot the last tablespoon of butter over the berries and brush the dough lightly with egg wash. Bake for 25 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown.
- In the last ten minutes of baking, make the vanilla sauce. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until the yolks are thick and pale yellow, about 2-3 minutes.
- In a saucepan, scald the milk (until it’s just under boiling). Temper the egg yolks by gradually adding a quarter cup of the milk mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly. Then gradually whisk the yolk mixture into the rest of the milk. Continue whisking over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat, whisk in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
- Let the galette and the sauce cool slightly. Slice the tart and serve with a drizzle of warm vanilla sauce.
