Lychee Salad with Ginger Syrup and Mint

One of my favourite things to do when I travel is to visit local markets. You really get a feel for the culture of a city when you see the tastes and try specialties of the place you're in. English food, I must admit, does not always have the best reputation, but my experience in the country has been nothing but positive. The photos I posted here are from Borough market. Although quite touristy, I really enjoyed walking through the different stalls and talking to local producers. I visited smaller markets during my stay in London, but I must say that I really did enjoy spending a couple hours here. A small fish shop in the midst of the market sells perfectly seared scallops and serves them in a shell with beansprouts and bacon - it's the best bite-size treat you'll find in the market!

I'm also posting a recipe for Lychee Salad. I absolutely love lychee and serving them on a warm summer day is always sure to please a crowd. My recipe is simple: just a little ginger syrup and some mint. Can you tell I've had a special craving for gingery desserts lately?


Lychee Salad with Ginger Syrup and Mint
Serves 4

¼ cup of water
¼ cup of sugar
1 slice of ginger, ¼ inch thick, diced
2 cans of lychee
10 mint leaves
In a small saucepan, add the water, sugar and ginger. Swirl the pan to make sure the sugar is dissolving in the water. As soon as the sugar is completely dissolved, simmer the mixture on low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, strain and discard the ginger pieces. Let cool.
Add the drained lychee to your serving bowl. Pour the ginger syrup over the lychee and garnish with coarsely chopped mint leaves.