Berry Coulis Recipe - dessert sauce (2024)

FAQs

What is berry coulis made of? ›

Place raspberries and redcurrants into a saucepan with sugar. Set over a medium heat, crushing with the back of a fork until the sugar has dissolved and the berries have become saucy. Taste and add a little more sugar if the berries are particularly sharp. Strain through a sieve, then chill until ready to serve.

To make a coulis for the compote, place half the raspberries in a small blender, add 6 tablespoons of the icing sugar and whizz until smooth. Push through a sieve set over a large bowl and discard the pips.

A smooth, thick sauce usually made by puréeing and sieving a fruit or vegetable. All kinds of fruits or vegetables can be made into coulis, but common types are raspberry, apricot or red pepper. Coulis are usually drizzled over desserts or savoury dishes, but they can also be used in sauces to enhance their flavour.

A coulis (/kuːˈliː/ koo-LEE) is a form of thin sauce made from puréed and strained vegetables or fruits.

Coulis (pronounced koo-LEE) is French for a thick sauce that's made from puréed and strained vegetables or fruits. The original, classical use of the term was a meat sauce that was reduced three times. These days, savory coulis made from puréed veggies and sweet coulis, from just about any kind fruit are more common.

Key Differences

Coulis can be made by pureeing fruits or vegetables, whereas compote is prepared by cooking down fruits until soft. Coulis is basically a fruit in pureed form, but compote has additional ingredients like spices and dried fruits, which lend a complex flavor.

Something that distinguishes coulis from other sauces is that the purée is not cooked. You might cook the fruit first, if it's necessary to soften it, but once it's soft you add optional ingredients, purée, strain and you're done.

Puree vs coulis

While fruit compote can be thought of as being similar to fruit coulis, a coulis is usually cooked for a while longer to make the fruit very soft. The mixture is then pressed through a strainer to make a smooth puree or paste.

Compotes have bigger pieces of fruit in them, and smaller berries can and be kept whole, whereas jam has smaller pieces of fruit, sometimes even pureed. Compotes are not canned and have less sugar than jam.

The difference between a purée and a coulis is refinement: to make coulis, the purée is strained. To do it, simply use a rubber spatula to push the purée through a mesh strainer or chinoise (SHEEN-wahz), which removes the seeds and skin. Voilà: Your purée is now a coulis!