This is the first of two very quick recipes for the weekend - come back tomorrow for Blackcurrant Cordial!
This is good for deglazing pans when cooking duck or pigeon breasts, venison, calves’ liver or chicken livers and whenever a salad calls for a fruity dressing.
Makes about 400ml
250g blackcurrants
250ml good white wine vinegar
210g caster sugar
Put the currants in a bowl and crush them with a potato masher or wooden spoon. Pour over the vinegar and leave overnight.
Strain through a fine sieve into a basin, pressing the fruit lightly. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
Pour into a large jar (or two smaller ones) and put the jar(s) into a heavy-based pan. Pour water into the pan to come two thirds of the way up the jar(s). Slowly bring to the boil and simmer gently for an hour.
Take the jar(s) out of the pan and leave until cool enough to handle, then strain the vinegar into sterilised bottles.
Seal, cool down, then keep somewhere cool and dark.
Original photograph by Rob White.