Cooking with wine is one of the exciting things you can do in a kitchen. From classic Coq au vin to the trendier red wine jus, wine-infused foods open up a whole new repertoire for a chef. You can take it to another level by using sparkling wines in a variety of ways. Here are some of my favourite sparkling wine recipes. Of course, to drink alongside, make sure it’s the best bubbly.

Sparkling Wine Tossed Mixed Mushrooms

Preparation time – 45 minutes
Cooking time- 7 minutes
Serves -4

Ingredients – Quantity
Milky mushrooms – 75 gms
Button mushrooms – 75 gms
Shitake mushrooms (dry) reconstituted – 25 gms
Fresh oyster mushrooms – 75 gms
Morels (dry) – reconstituted – 20 gms
Horn of plenty (dry) – reconstituted – 25 gms
Garlic chopped – 2 tsp
Olive oil – 2 tbsp
Sparkling wine – 4 tbsp
Flat leaf parsley – chopped – 1 tbsp
Extra virgin olive oil – 2 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Crushed black pepper – ½ tsp

Garnish
Parmesan shavings – 16 nos

Method

Wash and reconstitute the dried mushrooms by soaking them in hot water for 30 minutes. Trim the stalks of milky and button mushrooms and cut them in to quarters. Remove the stalks of morels, shitake, horn of plenty and oyster mushrooms. Cut the button mushrooms and morels into halves.

Heat olive oil in a large shallow pan, add chopped garlic and allow it to cook for 10 seconds without browning. Add the milky and button mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes over medium to high heat. Follow it up with the other mushrooms, sparkling wine and continue to cook for a minute or so. When the wine and the liquid from the mushrooms have evaporated, remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle with salt, crushed black pepper, extra virgin olive oil and chopped parsley. Give them a quick toss and serve garnished with Parmesan shavings.

 

Zabaglione with Strawberry
Preparation time – 1 hour
Cooking time- 10 minutes
Serves – 4

Ingredients – Quantity
For zabaglione
Egg yolks – 12 nos
Vanilla extract – ½ tspn
Prosecco – 120 ml
Caster sugar – 60gms

For the strawberry
Strawberry – 200gms
Caster sugar – 2 tbsp
Bouvet Brut Rose – 60 ml

For garnish
Strawberry – 4 nos

Method
To prepare the berries
Cut the strawberries into quarters lengthwise. Place them in a mixing bowl, sprinkle with sugar and 60ml of Bouvet Brut Rose sparkling wine. Set aside for an hour allowing them to macerate.

To prepare zabaglione
Bring half a saucepan of water to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Choose a mixing bowl that fits the top of the saucepan without its base touching the water. Put the sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract and 120ml of Prosecco in the bowl and mix with the help of a whisk. Place the bowl on the saucepan with simmering water, whisk until the mixture turns pale and the volume is doubled. This should take 8-10 minutes.

Assembly
Place the macerated strawberries in individual stem glasses (preferably martini glasses) and pour the zabaglione to cover. Serve garnished with fresh strawberries.