If you’ve ever looked at the menu at Bricco and noticed that there were terms on it that you aren’t familiar with, you aren’t alone! With the world of cuisines being as vast and full of specifications as it is, you’re bound to run into something you don’t know about. If you’ve looked at our appetizer menu and our eggplant bake caught your eye, you may have noticed an ingredient that jumps out at you: tomato coulis. While it might sound simple, there’s quite a lot that differentiates this from other ingredients. We break down everything you need to know about coulis below!
Defining Coulis
What’s a coulis? Coulis is a French word that means “strained liquid”. But in the culinary world, it’s often used to describe a particular type of sauce. If you’ve ever had a thick berry sauce on top of a piece of cheesecake, you’ve had a coulis. A coulis is a very dense sauce that can be savory or sweet depending on what dish it’s being used in. Coulis can also mean the juices that run from meat when it’s cooking, but when most people talk about a coulis, they’re talking about a rich, thick, and flavorful sauce.
How To Make Coulis
Most coulis are made from fruit or vegetables. In order to make a coulis, the fruits or vegetables are pureed and then strained. Sometimes, they are strained multiple times to remove any seeds or chunks and to give the liquid a velvety texture. Vegetables are usually cooked and then pureed, but fruits may be pureed fresh with no cooking. A coulis is very different from a compote. In order to make a compote, fruit is slowly boiled with sugar or syrup. But a coulis has nothing added.
Dishes That Pair Well With Coulis
Although sometimes a vegetable coulis is added to a starch like a potato or spooned on top of cooked meat to add color and texture to a dish, most of the time, coulis is used to top desserts. Fresh fruit coulis is a beautiful way to add freshness, color, and texture to desserts. Cheesecake will often have raspberry or cherry coulis on top. You can also have coulis on ice cream or on a warm dessert like a bread pudding or pie. You can also add coulis to blended drinks to add flavor and color. And because they are just fruit, they are just sweet enough to be a treat without being overpowering.
Expand Your Food Horizons
Make a reservation at Bricco online now and come in to try some wonderful desserts with coulis with coffee or a cocktail. A sweet dessert with a luscious coulis is the perfect way to end an evening out.