Edible San Francisco Spring 2007 - Delfina's Roasted Strawberries

"At Delfina, we like to serve these strawberries with our Carnaroli Rice Pudding. But they're also lovely with plain cake, a fresh cheese such as Quark or ch�vre, fruit sorbet, or, especially when still warm, topped with fresh cream."

Ingredients:
1 pound organic strawberries
1 cup sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
1 vanilla bean

Preheat the oven to 275°F.

Stem the strawberries retaining as much of the fruit as possible. Combine the sugar and the salt in a large bowl. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. With the back of a paring knife, scrape the inner black seeds into the bowl with the sugar and salt. (Keep the vanilla bean sheath for another purpose such as an ice cream custard.) Using your thumb, forefinger, and middle finger, smush or rub the vanilla bean seeds into the sugar mixture.

Add the strawberries and gently toss to coat. Sprinkle the berries into a baking dish, half sheet, or roasting pan with ample room for arranging the berries in a single layer; if the fruit is too crowded, you will steam the berries instead of roasting them.

Roast the strawberries for 3 hours, gently stirring every 30 minutes, until the berries deepen to a dark crimson and the syrup is bright red. (The roasted strawberries will keep for up to 2 weeks in a refrigerated nonreactive, tightly sealed container.)