Fresh Fruit With Lemon Verbena Simple Syrup Recipes

LEMON VERBENA SIMPLE SYRUP

Steps:

• Combine water, sugar, and lemon verbena leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let syrup steep, about 30 minutes.
• Pour syrup into a sterilized glass jar through a mesh strainer to remove lemon verbena leaves; let cool.

FRUIT IN LEMON-VERBENA SYRUP

Steps:

• Put fruit in a large bowl and gently toss with 1/2 cup sugar, then let stand 20 minutes.
• Rub verbena sprigs in your hands to bruise leaves and stems, then combine with water and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer 1 minute, then remove from heat and let steep, covered, 5 minutes.
• Stir lemon juice into warm syrup and pour through a medium-mesh sieve over fruit. Discard verbena sprigs and gently stir fruit. Let macerate at room temperature 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Divide among 8 soup plates.

FRESH FRUIT WITH LEMON VERBENA SIMPLE SYRUP

Steps:

• Simple syrup: combine the water and sugar in a small pan and bring to the boil.
• Boil mixture until it is reduced by half.
• Stir in the lemon verbena leaves. Set aside to allow verbena leaves to infuse and the mixture to cool completely.
• Salad: Prep the fruit and arrange on a large shallow platter.
• Once the simple syrup is cool, use a fine mesh strainer and drizzle the syrup all over the fruit.
• *Garnish fruit with a few fresh lemon verbena leaves. Or cover and chill until ready to serve.
• *Tip: fresh lemon verbena leaves wilt quickly. Garnish the fruit platter with freshly cut lemon verbena leaves [just] before serving.
• Yield is estimated.

LUSCIOUS LEMON VERBENA SYLLABUB

Steps:

• Whip the cream until soft peaks form, then add a few tablespoons of the lemon verbena syrup. Gradually add as much syrup as you can without deflating the cream.
• Gently fold in the freshly squeezed lemon juice, as desired.
• Serve the syllabub cream in dessert glasses, as is or layered with sorbet or fresh fruit. Garnish (right before serving) with fresh Lemon Verbena leaves.

LEMON VERBENA AND SUMMER FRUIT GELéE

Steps:

• Rub verbena sprigs in your hands to bruise leaves and stems, then combine sprigs with wine and 3/4 cup sugar in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 1 hour.
• While verbena mixture steeps, finely grind verbena leaves with remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor or an electric coffee/spice grinder. Gently toss fruit with verbena sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a bowl. Let stand while verbena syrup finishes steeping.
• Sprinkle gelatin over water and let soften 1 minute. Meanwhile, reheat verbena syrup until hot, then stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in macerated fruit with juices and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Chill in an ice bath, stirring occasionally, until cool and thickened (the texture of raw egg whites) but not set, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Very lightly oil baking pan with vegetable oil (not necessary if pan is nonstick or if using individual glasses).
• Pour gelée into baking pan and chill in refrigerator until set, at least 3 hours.
• To unmold, dip pan in a larger pan of hot water 5 to 10 seconds to loosen. Invert onto a serving plate (do not unmold if using individual glasses). Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

LEMON VERBENA SYRUP

Steps:

• In large stainless-steel pot, combine the wine, water and sugar. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to a low boil and cook about 10 minutes, until the syrup reduces by half, to 3 cups. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon verbena leaves, cover pan halfway and let steep until cool.
• Transfer to a capped bottle or covered bowl and refrigerate, for as long as a week. Strain lemon verbena leaves from the chilled syrup before using it as a sweetener for lemonade or ice tea, as a base for a spritzer or as a topping for cut fresh fruit.

ROASTED-FRUIT SALAD WITH LEMON VERBENA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat sugar, lemon verbena, and corn syrup in large straight-sided ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until sugar melts, about 3 minutes. Place Pluots, plums, and apricots, cut sides down, on top of sugar mixture, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar mixture is liquid and bubbling.
• Transfer skillet to oven, and roast until fruits are soft but not mushy, 4 to 4 1/2 minutes. Remove from oven, and swirl in butter and cream. Drizzle fruit with sauce, and garnish with lemon verbena sprigs.