If you’re anything like the average wine aficionado you probably only serve wine either before or during the main course of a meal. And, if you’ve been doing it for a long time, you are probably wondering if there can be anything different without radically changing the wine you’re drinking.
When this first happened to me my thought process was something like this. Okay, Merlot, Cabernet and red wine in general is good and all and I realize there are other types of wine out there. I don’t have the stomach to go try something different, so is there anything I can do with the stuff I already have?
Naturally, whatever you change it’s going to be something different. But you don’t have to change your favorite red wine types just to try something new. You just have to give them a new twist. One overlooked and underestimated dish type is dessert. I won’t go into dessert wines, instead, let’s make a red wine dessert.
Full-bodied red wine ice cream recipe
The first time I tried this I was very intrigued by it. The ice cream was delicious but there was something about it that didn’t seem normal. Later I found out they used red wine (specifically, Cabernet Sauvignon) in the making of the ice cream.
I was so overjoyed I had to have the recipe. I don’t know where my friends got it from but here it is. It’s a pretty popular recipe and I’m sure many people already know about it, but it deserves mention nonetheless.
What you will need:
full-bodied red wine – 2 bottles
heavy cream – 2 cups
vanilla extract – 1/8 teaspoon
kosher salt – 1/4 teaspoon
whole black peppercorns – 1/2 teaspoon
More things you’ll need:
cinnamon sticks – 2
yolks – 9milk – 2 cups
sugar – depending on prefference, at least 1 cup
The preparation is actually pretty simple (I’ve included a list of what you need after the preparation instructions). First simmer the red wine in a large pot together with the cinnamon sticks and peppercorns. Now you’re going to simmer until the wine is reduced to 1 cup. It may take up to an hour so be patient.
Next, in a different pan get the milk, half of the sugar and the cream together and bring them to a boil. In another bowl whisk together the yolks and the other half of the sugar. Add the salt and vanilla while stirring.
Get everything back to the reduced wine. Whisk everything in and when it’s cool and smooth put the pan over ice to help cooling. Finally, process the base in an ice cream maker. Be careful to use a fine mesh strainer as otherwise it can get blobby. Now freeze everything for a couple of hours and you’re ready to go.
I hope this dessert item has refreshed your idea about what you can do with red wine. There are dozens of delicious recipes to try and it’s a very cool thing to do when you’re hosting a wine dinner party. After an array of fabulous pairings your guests will be delighted to try your fresh dessert.
Further reading:
- Is it Possible to Pair Red Wine With Ice Cream - Food and wine have both been around for a really long time. They’ve been around for so long that it’s not unreasonable to assume that people have tried most every possible combination they could think of. But don’t you feel...
