Rødgrød med Fløde

I had some people over for a Danish breakfast, and one of the things I served was home-made Rodgrod med Flode, or red berry pudding with cream. Widely accepted to be the most difficult thing to pronounce in the Danish language, it sure tastes good, and here's a little step-by-step.

Take about 8 cups of berries... I used strawberries because they are in season here in NJ (so good, red ALL the way through), but the traditional fruits are red currant, raspberry and rhubarb.

Who can resist taking a moment to make a character out of the funniest berry?

Put the de-stemmed, cleaned berries in a big pot with some water, simmer for a while and smush down to get all the berry juice out.

Force the berries through a fine sieve to remove seeds, or squeeze in a cheesecloth bag. I get out most of the berries but like to leave some.

Add about 1/2 cup cornstarch and 3/4 cup sugar and cook until thickened, and mixture is beginning to bubble.

Transfer into one big bowl or individual serving bowls and chill. Serve with cream on top, I do slightly sweetened lightly whipped cream. It is the intense, luscous flavor of concentrated berries, and refreshing on a summer day.

Wow, having white appliances and counters is not an asset when making rodgrod!