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Slow-Roasted Strawberries

This simple technique yields amazing results, intensifying the flavor of the strawberries so that each one explodes on your palate. The strawberries I use are small, local, day-neutral or “ever-bearing” varieties like Tristar, which come from local farmers. You can roast larger berries, but they will take longer and they won’t be as sweet.

Cooks' Note

8 Brix is sold in some gourmet markets and is available online from Amazon. If you’re not using 8 Brix, you may want to add a few drops of balsamic vinegar to balance the acidity of the berries.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 6 on it¿s own or 12 as part of a dessert

Ingredients

1 1/2 pints (515g) day-neutral strawberries
About 1 cup (240g) red verjus (preferably 8 Brix; see Note)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Hull the strawberries, slicing off a little of their tops so that the strawberries can stand up.

    Step 2

    Toss the berries with enough of the verjus just barely to cover. Macerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

    Step 3

    Heat the oven to 225°F or 200°F on convection.

    Step 4

    Drain the strawberries over a bowl and stand them up in a baking dish just big enough to hold them comfortably. If you want, reserve the maceration liquid to serve with the berries.

    Step 5

    Roast the berries until they have darkened, turning almost a maroon color (they should be very tender but still hold their shape), about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

    Step 6

    Remove the berries from the dish and let cool to room temperature before serving.

Reprinted with permission from Dessert Fourplay: Sweet Quartets from a Four-Star Pastry Chef by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Copyright © 2008 by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Published by Crown Publishing. All Rights Reserved. Johnny Iuzzini,, executive pastry chef of the world-renowned Jean Georges restaurant in New York City, won the award for Outstanding Pastry Chef from the James Beard Foundation in 2006. This is his first book. Roy Finamore, a publishing veteran of more than thirty years, has worked with many bestselling cookbook authors. He is the author of three books: One Potato, Two Potato; Tasty, which won a James Beard Foundation award; and Fish Without a Doubt.__
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