Sorrel is a leafy herb and vegetable known for a distinctly tart flavour caused largely by naturally occurring oxalic acid. The leaves soften quickly with heat.
Selection and Storage
Choose crisp green leaves without excessive yellowing or bruising. Refrigerate gently and use promptly because the leaves are relatively delicate.
Preparation and Culinary Uses
Use young leaves raw in small amounts in salads and herb mixtures, or cook into soups, sauces and purées. Its acidity is especially useful with eggs, fish, potatoes and cream. Cooking changes its bright green colour, so judge it primarily by flavour and texture.
Chef’s Notes
Taste the ingredient in its raw or simplest prepared form before building the dish. Variety, maturity, season, processing and storage can change intensity, moisture and texture.
Substitution Principle
Choose substitutes by culinary function—aroma, acidity, texture, bitterness, sweetness or body—rather than assuming that ingredients with a similar appearance will behave identically.
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