[Sca-cooks] Mint jelly or sauce

[Susan Fox]

I should think that what you describe is very much like a chimichurri 
sauce with mint leaves instead of parsley and other green herbs.  
There's a Latin American point of view for you!  [Mmmm, now I need to go 
to the Argentine place around the corner and it's all your fault.]

I hit Google for English Mint Sauce recipes and this one looks much like 
it.  It's from another forum and uncredited, I don't think the poster 
composed it.  Recipe follows.

Bon Appetit,
Selene

-=-=-=-

 From http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=27567

English Mint Sauce -


1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 cup malt vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
small bottles for storage

Mint Sauce
Instructions:

Rinse young, healthy mint leaves, strip from the stems, and chop into 
fine pieces. I usually process most of the leaves in the blender, with a 
little of the vinegar, leaving some aside to chop by hand. The leaves 
chopped in the blender will be very fine, and infuse a fine flavor, 
while those done by hand are a little coarser and will be more visible 
in the decorative vinegar jar.

Bring vinegar to a simmer in a small saucepan, add sugar and chopped 
leaves. Simmer for about 20 minutes to infuse. Add more sugar or add a 
little water to taste, depending on how strong or how sweet you want the 
sauce. (I add no extra water or sugar to this recipe, but you may prefer 
a less strong infusion.)

You can re-use lots of different bottles for mint sauce...I've used 
bottles and jars that once contained steak sauce, olive oil, baby food 
and salad dressings. Tall narrow jars look elegant, but short, squat 
jars allow you to use a spoon to serve the mint sauce. Make sure the 
bottles are free of nicks or cracks and sealable with either a screw top 
or cork. Wash containers thoroughly, then sterilize by immersing the 
jars in a pan of hot water and simmering for 10 minutes. Once jars are 
sterilized, remove from the simmering water and invert on paper towel to 
dry. Fill while the jars are still warm and seal tightly. If using corks 
and you intend to store the vinegar for an extended time, seal the corks 
by dipping in paraffin; if using a screw top, place a small square of 
waxed paper on top of the jar before screwing the lid on tight.

You can add a small fresh sprig of mint to your jars, if you wish, for 
visual appeal - just insert into the jar before adding the mint sauce. 
Use a funnel to add the sauce, stirring as you pour it into the funnel 
to make sure you get lots of mint leaves mixed with the vinegar. You'll 
find that the mint settles to the bottom of the jar, so the mint sauce 
should be gently shaken or stirred before serving.

Vinegar has natural preservative qualities, and mint sauce should keep 
for 2 to 3 months in cold storage or for 6 to 8 months in the refrigerator.



Suey wrote:
> In Latin American countries it is very rare to find mint jelly.  I  am 
> now out of it but my mint plant is gorgeously big so I think I could 
> create jelly. Too when last in England I stayed at a friend's home and 
> when she served lamb for dinner she took some mint leaves from her 
> garden and mixed them with vinegar and who knows what making a lovely 
> mint sauce. I continually ask her for the recipe but she sends me 
> nothing. For me eating lamb without mint is a crime. I guess my visits 
> to England and North America have always been around mint eating 
> lambs. If anyone has a recipe for either I would be most grateful.
> Suey
>
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