Recipes

Riesling-Poached Pineapple with Rosemary Whipped Cream

Matt Selby

Corner House - Denver

“I’ve always felt that herbs, ginger, and sometimes salt and pepper can help to cut through a dessert’s sweetness, making you appreciate the dish even more,” says Matt Selby. To demonstrate this approach, Selby pairs Riesling-poached pineapple with an earthy, rosemary infused whipped cream.

Ingredients

Rosemary Whipped Cream:

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 3 sprigs rosemary, plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Riesling Poached Pineapple:

  • 1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch squares
  • 1 750-milliliter bottle dry Riesling
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • Rosemary leaves, for garnish
  • Pink peppercorns, broken up in a mortar and pestle, for garnish

Method

To make the whipped cream, combine the heavy cream and rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan. Bring the cream to a boil over medium heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and allow the cream to simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the cream and rosemary into a container, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Strain the rosemary from the cream and discard the sprigs. Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer, whip the cream to soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Continue whipping until the cream reaches stiff peaks. Reserve in the refrigerator until needed.

To poach the pineapple, place the pineapple pieces in a medium-sized saucepan and add the Riesling, sugar, vanilla bean pod and seeds, and salt. Whisk to dissolve the sugar. Wrap and tie the black peppercorns in cheesecloth and add the sachet to the pot. Place the pan over high heat and bring the wine to a boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to low. Poach the pineapple for 12 to15 minutes. Strain the pineapple and reserve the liquid. Refrigerate the pineapple until needed.
 
Pour the strained poaching liquid into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat. Simmer until it has reduced by slightly more than half and is thick and syrupy, about 10 to 15 minutes.

To serve, place about a half a cup of poached pineapple into a chilled bowl or parfait glass. Drizzle each serving with a tablespoon of the reduced poaching liquid. Top each dish with a generous dollop of the infused whipped cream. Garnish with rosemary leaves and freshly ground pink peppercorns.

Yield

4 servings