Pop! That’s the sound of us uncorking bubbly in honor of New Year’s Eve. Clink! That’s our glasses toasting. Eek! That’s what we groan when we can’t figure out what to do with all the leftover champagne.
Party-ready prosecco preserves!
Don’t toss it down the drain. (That would be a big gasp!) Instead, make like Executive Chef John Eisenhart of Pazzo Ristorante in Portland and use it for creative cooking.
“Champagne – or prosecco or sparkling wine, for that matter – can be a great secret ingredient in many festive dishes,” says Eisenhart.
So hold on to those half-empty bottles. You can use their contents to make any of the following.
Fritters
Instead of sparkling water, add champagne to the batter for fritters or zucchini blossoms for extra flavor.
Vinaigrette
Combine champagne with citrus to create a deliciously balanced dressing for root vegetables.
Sorbet
Mix champagne with simple syrup and freeze for a light and refreshing after-dinner treat.
Ice cubes
Freeze leftover champagne in an ice cube tray and use later for mimosas. You could even create a make-your-own mimosa bar and place the ice cubes on the table with a variety of fresh juices to liven things up.
Preserves
Using mostly household ingredients such as citrus zest and honey, you can make fresh, delicious champagne preserves. Here’s the recipe!
Prosecco Gel
{Serve alongside grain bread, fruit, and Northern Italian cheeses, such as gorgonzola, fontina, parmesan, and ubriaco. It keeps up to two weeks.}
50 grams sugar
15 grams pectin
1/2 bottle prosecco (champagne or sparkling wine also works)
100 grams honey
1 strip lemon zest
1/2 strip orange zest
1. Mix together sugar and pectin. In a pot, combine all ingredients.
2. On low flame, slowly bring pot to a boil and stir frequently. Simmer for five minutes. Set aside. When prosecco is warm (not hot, not cold) place in a Co2 canister with a new cartridge.
3. Get a container that holds ice water and a wide-bottomed pan to fit inside. Slowly release the Co2 pressure into the cold pan. This will “arrest” the bubbles into the gel. Refrigerate.
Here’s to a year of good cheer!
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Make a date in 2012 with Pazzo Ristorante, 627 SW Washington, Portland (503-228-1515 or pazzo.com).
