Cooking Lesson #671: White Chocolate-Strawberry Bellini

The Cruising Collection

​How you doin’? My White Chocolate-Strawberry Bellini is the perfect beverage for champion lovers! So, go ahead… take a cruise on the Love Boat.
 
Where did the Bellini come from; you ask? The Bellini [behl-LEE-nee] was invented by Giuseppi Cipriani 1943 (in the middle of World War II—not on the Love Boat) at the famous Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy. It was named after a painter, Giovanni Bellini. Harry’s Bar has a little bit of Hemingway history and is a place to visit when in Venice—it’s a legend.
 
Save a lot of time by making the white chocolate ganache well ahead of time. It has a lot of uses and will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of months if you don’t use it all right away or steal spoonfuls of it first.
 
Prep Time:  25 minutes
Cool Time:  2 hours
Ganache Hold Time: overnight
Ready In:  40 minutes
Yield:  4 bellinis
 
Ingredients 
For the White Chocolate Ganache
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup (Karo Syrup)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 pound White Chocolate Pastilles (I prefer Guittard white chocolate)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
 
For the Bellini
1/4 cup prepared white chocolate ganache
1/4 cup strawberry nectar, such as Kern’s
1 pint fresh strawberries
1 bottle Prosecco, Champagne or other sparkling white or rose wine
 
Directions
For the White Chocolate Ganache

1. In a large, heavy saucepan, bring the cream, Karo Syrup and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk until blended. Remove the pan from the heat.
2. Immediately add the chocolate and the vanilla to the pan and whisk until smooth. Set aside for about 2 hours to cool completely, whisking every 15 minutes or so to keep the ganache in emulsion.
3. When cool, transfer the ganache to a rigid plastic or glass container, cover, date and refrigerate overnight before using.

For the Bellini

1. Combine 1/4 cup of the ganache and strawberry nectar and stir until smooth.
2. Finely dice half the strawberries, reserving the other half for garnishing.
3. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the strawberry ganache mixture into the bottom of a champagne flute, then add 1 tablespoon of the diced strawberries.
4. Slowly and carefully fill the glass with the Prosecco.

ChefSecret: Prosecco is an inexpensive dry Italian, sparkling white wine made from Glera grapes. The name is derived from the Italian village of Prosecco near Trieste, Italy. The grapes originated in Prosecco, but are now produced in the regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, traditionally mainly around Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, in the hills north of Treviso. Prosecco is the main ingredient of the Bellini Cocktail and is a less-expensive substitute for Champagne.

Quip of the Day:  Q. If normal blood has plasma and blood cells, what does Italian blood have?
​A. Marinara sauce.
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