the best strawberry shortcake
Weirdly, I learned this dish in a healthy cooking class in culinary school. It was supposed to be about steaming and poaching but for some reason the chef taught us this dessert. I really can’t tell you if it’s healthy or not, but it has fresh fruit and herbs so maybe? This strawberry shortcake has a sort of fancy & savory twist that I really love. Plus it allows me to use even more fresh things from the garden.
When I last made them, I put together a quick biscuit recipe that wasn’t that good…so I’m not sharing it. The real star is the berry mixture. You should use whatever “shortcake” base that you like. A spongy vanilla cake, or buttery biscuit could work really well, or just make the strawberries and eat them with cream.
The secret ingredients in these strawberries are basil and red wine. I don’t drink alcohol- but use just a small amount to macerate the berries with the herbs. I feel like since it’s just used for flavoring, I don’t really deal with feeling like I’m under the influence or anything. Very subtle. They aren’t cooked so the alcohol is still present but if this is something that you’re concerned about, you can always pop this on the stovetop to simmer for a few minutes and cook down.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups of whole strawberries
1/4 cup red wine
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade (aka sliced into thin strips)
2-4 tsp brown sugar
whipped cream of your choice
1 lemon, zested
optional: whole black or pink peppercorns
Wash the strawberries and trim off the green tops. Slice or quarter the berries and add to a bowl with wine, sugar, basil and a few whole peppercorns if you like them. You should adjust the amount of sugar you add based on how sweet your berries and wine are.
Let the berries macerate with the other ingredients for at least 30 minutes. It will create it’s own syrup the longer you let it sit. You can leave it to sit overnight in the refrigerator too, but I like using it while it’s super fresh. If using peppercorns, remove before serving.
Choose your favorite whipped cream, home made or store bought is good. Gently stir in some lemon zest right before serving to really elevate the flavor.
Spoon berries over whatever cake or biscuit you want to use, making sure to get some of the juices. Top with whipped cream and a bit more of the berries.
That’s it! This take on a simple classic is superbly flavorful and feels a bit fancy and definitely fresh. You can also add raspberries or blackberries if you want to change things up based on what’s available in your area/season.