Food & Wine USA - (04)April 2019

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 CHAPPLE

Whole-Bottle Cooking Easy, brilliant

recipes that use every last drop

MAD GENIUS TIPS

Wine-Poached Strawberries

and Apricots

ACTIVE 10 MIN; TOTAL 45 MIN; SERVES 8

Semi-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

1. 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.


2. 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.