Description
Sorrel was served on the tables of the Pharaohs. It plays a large role in Egyptian culinary tradition and continues today to flavor numerous traditional cuisines. Two main kinds of sorrel are used in cooking:

• Sorrel "acetosa" - Rumex acetosa (or large sorrel) has wide arrow-shaped leaves, with the inner parts resembling teeth.
• Round sorrel - Rumex scutatus - Round or French sorrel, as its names indicates, has round leaves which are large and fleshy, lanceolated and which appear in bright green bouquets.

Nutritional values
Calories:26; Carbohydrates 2.6 g; Fat: 0.5 g; Protein, 2.6 g. Rich in magnesium, potassium and vitamin C

Buying sorrel
Choose firm stems, and crisp, straight green leaves with no yellowing or wilting.
Choose young shoots which are less acidic than the large exterior leaves if you wish to eat them plain.

Storing
It can be kept easily for several days in a plastic bag supplied with air holes in the lower part of the refrigerator.

Cooking tips
Its acidic taste comes from the oxalic acid contained in its leaves. Round leaf sorrel has a slightly lemony flavor which is perfect for fish, soups, white sauces, cream sauces, eggs, poultry and white meats, as well as goat cheese. Salmon and "fricandeau" (a veal dish) with sorrel are classics of French gastronomy. Sorrel cooked in cream is a magnificent accompaniment to salmon, bream, turbot or mussels.

It is first necessary to remove the stalks from sorrel, wash and drain it. Count on about 350 g per portion. Be aware that sorrel, like spinach, will give a much smaller volume when cooked.

Once cooked, it is difficult to keep sorrel, so it is better to cook it as needed, especially given its quick cooking time.

Because of its high acidity, sorrel must be kept away from iron pots and non-stainless steel knives. It will quickly discolor! If you use it in salad, add sugar or honey to the dressing.

If your meat is of a lesser quality or a little tough, cut it into cubes and wrap each piece in a sorrel leaf before cooking to tenderize it.

Enjoying
Cook a fish “à l’unilatéral” (one side only). Place it on a bed of sorrel; moisten it with some reduced light fish stock flavored with a few drops of anise-flavored liquor such as Pernod or Ricard.

Steamed sorrel
Wash the sorrel; remove the stems, keeping only the leaves. Steam for about 10 minutes.

Creamed sorrel
Wilt the de-stemmed sorrel in a little olive oil; add a little cream and just a touch of salt.