Savory Blueberry Ideas

[liuzhou]

My local supermarket has fresh blueberries. I'm planning a welcome dinner for my dear friend who will return to China after studying in Washington state for a year, and thought I'd like to incorporate them somehow.

 

But! Big but!

Neither of us are particularly into sweet dishes.

Anyone have any suggestions/ideas on blueberries in savoury dishes?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

A couple of years ago I recall reading a Native American cookbook at work.  Maybe I can find it but it will take a couple days.

 

I suppose blueberry pancakes won't do?

[liuzhou]

A couple of years ago I recall reading a Native American cookbook at work. Maybe I can find it but it will take a couple days.

I suppose blueberry pancakes won't do?

Pancakes not really what I had in mind.

If you find the book, I'd be delighted to hear about it. Take your time!

Thanks

Edited August 2, 2015 by liuzhou (log)

[Lisa Shock]

How about a pan sauce, maybe a gastrique maybe not, for a meat dish -like how sour cherries get used as a sauce for beef with a wine reduction in a fond-covered pan.

[liuzhou]

How about a pan sauce, maybe a gastrique maybe not, for a meat dish -like how sour cherries get used as a sauce for beef with a wine reduction in a fond-covered pan.

Yes, that's the sort of line I was thinking along. I was also thinking duck.

[Mjx]

I've used unsweetened berries and bay leaf to make a sort of compote to serve with game, including duck. I don't have a hard and fast recipe, but just add a little gin, whisky, or rum to the pan to deglaze, bring down the temperature, if necessary add a little boiling water to cover the bay leaf I simmer in the now-deglazed pan for two or three minutes, reduce out any excess liquid, add the berries and a pinch of salt, and cook until they start to ooze juice (I don't like my berries very cooked). I sometimes add a pinch of cinnamon or a small clove. Sometimes (generally, with store-bought berries in the winter), a small amount of acid adds some dimension.

[liuzhou]

just add a little gin, whisky, or rum to the pan

That'll do me! Thks.

[Franci]

You could use it to cook pork chops with a pear sauce. Cook the pears cut in slices with butter deglazing with white wine, adjust seasoning and puree'.

Dust the pork chops with flour and shake the excess. Saute' in butter and deglaze with white wine, adjust seasoning. Add the blueberries  and cook for about 2'. Plate the chops. Crush about half of berries in the sauce and leave the other whole. Dress the chops with the sauce and serve with the puree'.

Instead of pork you could use quails, duck or other game meat.

[ninagluck]

Liuzhou i made a foccacia with blueberries and fresh goats cheese, this was really nice

[liuzhou]

Thanks Nina, that looks wonderful, but goat's cheese is not something I can find. Sadly.

[ninagluck]

any cream cheese would do I guess

[liuzhou]

any cream cheese would do I guess

 

In my dreams. Virtually no cheese here at all.

[Deryn]

I agree with Lisa - make a gastrique/sauce. I would use some kind of vinegar (in my world that would probably be a balsamic, perhaps a fig one) rather than wine though. The duck sounds delightful and I am sure it would go beautifully with a piquant blueberry sauce.

[Shelby]

Count me in on the duck idea.  Sounds GOOD.

 

YAY!!!  I'm so glad your friend is coming home!!! 

[liuzhou]

Count me in on the duck idea. Sounds GOOD.

YAY!!! I'm so glad your friend is coming home!!!

Not so glad as I am. I've missed her!

I've been planning this meal for nearly a year. I'm terrified!

But she will be forgiving if I screw up!

Edited August 2, 2015 by liuzhou (log)

[Shelby]

Not so glad as I am. I've missed her!

I've been planning this meal for nearly a year. I'm terrified!

I know it's been a rough year for you.  I'm so glad she's back  And, she'll get to see your new place!

 

Don't worry, you're a great cook and you'll do fabulous.  Maybe you should skip putting some of that soy garlic out though.......

[FauxPas]

I like blueberry sauces with pork, but I think they would work great with duck also. 

 

I sauté some sliced onion in a pan, maybe add a bit of garlic. Add fresh blueberries and balsamic vinegar or port. I like it just like that, but nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon might work or a '5-spice' blend. Maybe some basil. 

 

Here are pics of this sauce with pork tenderloin over baby greens (mostly spinach, I think). I also added a few dried blueberries to this one after serving, as i just happened to have some around. I think I puréed this one with an immersion blender before plating. 

 

 

Edited August 2, 2015 by FauxPas (log)

[Alex]

I like blueberry sauces with pork, but I think they would work great with duck also. 

 

I sauté some sliced onion in a pan, maybe add a bit of garlic. Add fresh blueberries and balsamic vinegar or port. I like it just like that, but nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon might work or a '5-spice' blend. Maybe some basil.

 

Ditto. I've made pork tenderloin with a sauce made, if memory serves, from butter, shallots, chicken stock reduction, port reduction, blueberries, and rosemary. Or something like that.

[caroled]

FauxPas,

I don't know how that tastes, but it is certainly beautiful!

[FauxPas]

FauxPas,

I don't know how that tastes, but it is certainly beautiful!

 

Thanks so much, caroled! We like it enough that I have probably made it about half a dozen times over the past few years. It's a fairly easy item to prepare and to make variations on it. My husband liked fresh ground pepper on top, also. 

[TicTac]

I made a really good sweet and sour sauce recently which used blueberry preserves.

[liuzhou]

I like blueberry sauces with pork, but I think they would work great with duck also. 

 

I sauté some sliced onion in a pan, maybe add a bit of garlic. Add fresh blueberries and balsamic vinegar or port. I like it just like that, but nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon might work or a '5-spice' blend. Maybe some basil. 

 

Here are pics of this sauce with pork tenderloin over baby greens (mostly spinach, I think). I also added a few dried blueberries to this one after serving, as i just happened to have some around. I think I puréed this one with an immersion blender before plating. 

 

 

Wow, Fauxpas! That is inspirational. Thanks! I plan trying both pork and duck to see which I prefer, then cooking the winner for my friend.

 

I made a really good sweet and sour sauce recently which used blueberry preserves.

 

I'm using fresh blueberries. I bought them this morning, but then got invited to dinner, so I'll be using them tomorrow for a trial run before the main event. 

 

Edited August 3, 2015 by liuzhou (log)

[Josh71]

I made seared duck breast with kind of blueberry yakitori (or teriyaki?) sauce. So, it was sweet fruity Japanese tare sauce, which would be nice for duck.

 

Start with making the yakitori by mixing sake, mirin, Japanese soy sauce and brown sugar ... 

 

1/4 cup sake

1/4 cup mirin

1/2 cup Japanese soy sauce (I use Kikkoman)

1 tbsp brown sugar

 

Then add some blueberry jam.

 

Simmer it and adjust the taste freely to your liking.

 

I think here you can also use chopped fresh blueberry, loads of them

 

It was really nice with duck, the sauce was savory and sweet, but not too sweet, with blueberry taste!

 

Well, just an idea from me.

 

NOTE: Please report later what you did, and make some photos of the dish

Edited August 3, 2015 by Josh71 (log)

[liuzhou]

Then add some blueberry jam.

 

 

NOTE: Please report later what you did, and make some photos of the dish

 

As noted, I will be using fresh blueberries, not jam.

 

Photos will follow as usual. Thanks

[suzilightning]

Do you have access to print or online magazines?  The current July/August Eating Well has a spread that includes a blueberry and lobster salad, grilled chicken with a blueberry lime salsa and grilled haloumi with a blueberry balsamic jam.

 

If not I might be able to pm anything that looks interesting to you.