36 APRIL 2019
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COOKING WITH WINE is an awesome thing. It adds balance, depth of flavor, and
accents the aroma of food. But popping open an entire bottle of wine for one
recipe often leaves you with just a glass or two to pour—certainly not enough to
last through dinner! This led me to wonder: Is using an entire bottle in one
recipe—even in beef bourguignon—downright ridiculous? To prove that it’s not,
I’ve developed these Mad Genius recipes for whole-bottle cooking. —JUSTIN CHAPPLEWhole-Bottle Cooking Easy, brilliantrecipes that use every last dropMAD GENIUS TIPS
Wine-Poached Strawberries
and Apricots
ACTIVE 10 MIN; TOTAL 45 MIN; SERVES 8Semi-dry Riesling, which is refreshing and
not too sweet, is the secret to this impres-
sive, balanced dessert. Dried apricots lend
a gentle bitterness while the strawberries
add sweetness and impart the rosiest
color. Does unsweetened whipped cream
make you nervous? Trust me—the boozy
berries provide all the sweetness this des-
sert needs.1 (750-ml) bottle semi-dry Riesling(^1) / 3 cup granulated sugar, or more to
taste
1 tarragon sprig
(^1) / 2 cup dried apricots (preferably
California) (about 4 oz.)
1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled
(halved lengthwise if large)
Unsweetened whipped cream, for
serving
Fresh tarragon leaves, for garnish
- Fill a large bowl with ice and water;
place a large heatproof bowl on top. Stir
together wine, sugar, and tarragon sprig
in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over
medium. Add apricots, and cook 2 min-
utes. Add strawberries; reduce heat to
medium-low, and cook until fruit just soft-
ens, about 3 minutes. Transfer fruit mix-
ture to bowl set over ice-water bath, and
let stand until cool, about 45 minutes. - Serve fruit and wine mixture in glasses
topped with unsweetened whipped cream
and garnished with tarragon leaves.
MAD GENIUS TIP
Strawberries, dried apricots,
and a bottle of dry Riesling
come together to form a
boozy dessert that is as
easy to eat with
a spoon as it is to sip
from a glass.