Coulis

A coulis (/kuːˈliː/ koo-LEE) is a form of thin sauce made from puréed and strained vegetables or fruits.

The way of making coulis varies with the type of fruit or vegetable used: it is possible to simply mash raspberries and strawberries through a strainer with a spoon, while ripe pears and melons are usually pureed in a blender prior to straining; apples have to be cooked first.

Reduction of coulis (to strengthen its sweetness and flavor) can be difficult, as the sauce may acquire a jam-like taste when heated, so sometimes vacuum evaporation is used to boil the mixture at a lower temperature.

Desserts that are not very sweet, like brioche, can benefit from coulis with added sugar, while the taste of ice cream, on the other hand, improves with a contrasting, unsweetened sauce.

[4] In its current meaning, the term is fairly new in the English language, with widespread use, alongside Nouvelle cuisine, since the 1980s (Merriam-Webster Dictionary provides 1952 as the first recorded use in the modern sense[3]).