A bubbly drink with fresh ripe strawberry purée?! Yes, please. Leave it to Ms. Nigella Lawson to come up with this fabulous, fun and beautiful drink for spring!
From Ms. Lawson: “Think Bellini — that Venetian cocktail of prosecco and white peach purée — only with liquidised strawberries in place of the peaches. It’s the taste of lyrical, wide-skied, blossom-scented summer, hence my naming of it. In actual fact, it’s more properly known as a Rossini, but I choose the artist over the composer here!” (She cracks me up!)
Ms. Lawson states that you shouldn’t need any sugar but if, when you taste the purée, it’s too sharp (and you’re not going in for the sweet strawberry liqueur) you can just add icing sugar/powdered sugar to taste.
This recipe is from Forever Summer, I think the only Nigella book I don’t own! I guess I should!
Fragonard
printable recipe below
1 bottle prosecco (or other fizzy white wine)
For the pureé:
17 ounces strawberries (hulled)
2 tablespoons crème de fraise (optional)
For 1 bottle of prosecco (or other fizzy white wine of your choice) add a purée made (using a goblet, stick or bullet blender or, indeed, a food mill) from 500g/1lb hulled strawberries and, if you can get some, a couple of tablespoons of crème de fraise.
If you haven’t got any crème de fraise, that sweetly alcoholic essence of strawberry, and the fruit you’re using is not truly red ‘n’ ripe, then you may need to add a spoonful or so of sugar while blitzing. (Re-read the red ‘n’ ripe.) It’s very important.)
Stir well and pour; I find I get about seven assorted glasses’ worth out of the above quantities.
Soooooo, two recommendations for this drink. Firstly, no kidding on the ripe strawberries. Although mine were quite pleasant to sample, they did not have enough sweet “ooomph”. And I added the creme de fraises, which happens to taste like cough syrup to me, just like the Chamberyzette! Secondly, I didn’t enjoy the seeds. Some straining is highly recommended.
Strain prior to adding the prosecco, something I wish I’d done!
Fragonard
1 bottle prosecco (or other fizzy white wine)
For the purée:
500 grams strawberries (hulled)
2 tablespoons crème de fraise (optional)
For 1 bottle of prosecco (or other fizzy white wine of your choice) add a purée made (using a goblet, stick or bullet blender or, indeed, a food mill) from 500g/1lb hulled strawberries and, if you can get some, a couple of tablespoons of crème de fraise. If you haven’t got any crème de fraise, that sweetly alcoholic essence of strawberry, and the fruit you’re using is not truly red ‘n’ ripe, then you may need to add a spoonful or so of sugar while blitzing.
Stir well and pour; I find I get about seven assorted glasses’ worth out of the above quantities.