Shallot and Red Wine Purée

Serves
makes 1 1/2 cups
Time
4 hours 30 minutes

MATT TAYLOR-GROSS

Published on February 2, 2016

Chef David Bouley slowly oven-roasts unpeeled shallots for this purée, and while the skins are removed from the final product, they help add a deep, caramelized flavor to each bite. Stir into tomato-based sauces, add to stir-fries, or spread on crostini with cheese.

Featured in: The Magic of Making Mush for Dinner

Ingredients

2 lb. unpeeled shallots, washed and dried
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
6 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
3 cups pinot noir
3 cups ruby port
1 tsp. whole juniper berries
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

Step 1

Heat the oven to 325°. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss the shallots with the olive oil, butter, thyme, and rosemary and bake, tossing occasionally, until the shallots are extremely soft and their juices have concentrated into a thickened caramel, about 2 hours.

Step 2

Pour the wine, port, juniper, and bay leaf into the baking dish and continue baking until the liquid is reduced to about 23 cup, about 2 hours. Strain the contents of the baking dish into a sieve set over a bowl. Set the liquid aside. Set the sieve on top of a fresh bowl and press and mash until a smooth purée falls into the bowl. Discard the solids and season the purée with salt and pepper. Add liquid as needed to create a consistency like soft butter. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the purée for up to 1 week or freeze it for up to 1 month.

Heat the oven to 325°. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss the shallots with the olive oil, butter, thyme, and rosemary and bake, tossing occasionally, until the shallots are extremely soft and their juices have concentrated into a thickened caramel, about 2 hours.
Pour the wine, port, juniper, and bay leaf into the baking dish and continue baking until the liquid is reduced to about 23 cup, about 2 hours. Strain the contents of the baking dish into a sieve set over a bowl. Set the liquid aside. Set the sieve on top of a fresh bowl and press and mash until a smooth purée falls into the bowl. Discard the solids and season the purée with salt and pepper. Add liquid as needed to create a consistency like soft butter. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the purée for up to 1 week or freeze it for up to 1 month.