July – Williamson’s Cork to Fork!

Our final goodbye to our July Wine of the Month, Blossom Rosé, and a hat-tip to the delicious apricots grown in our orchard for being the star of the show.
                              Pan Roasted Apricots with Brie and Blackberries

fresh whole apricots with blackberries, fresh basil and a slice of brie gathered together on flat service
Talk about an easy and refreshing way to end your day – or hey, start it. Maybe even have it for lunch. Everything is made up and the points don’t matter – do what makes you happy with this one, folks.

As your (preferably) cast iron pan is heating up on the stove over medium heat, turn on your oven’s broiler on high and let it warm up. This comes together fast, by the way, and I love working with cast iron, but any oven durable pan will be fine.
Halve your apricots and remove the pit, set those aside and grab your brie. Cut the brie into slices about ¼ inch thick and then make squares that nestle into the center of the apricots where the pit once was. If you want them cheesier, make the cheese thicker, this is your life – live it. Set the cheese aside. Wash your blackberries, set those aside, grab your basil leaves and make a nice chiffonade. (Roll the basil leaves up and take a knife and cut it into thin strips. It’s basically basil confetti and when life includes basil confetti, life cannot be bad).
wine bottle of rose wine plus fresh blackberries, basil,  brie, and apricots

Now that you’ve got all your ingredients prepped and ready and your pan is hot (not at a smoking point though, don’t want that, you just want a nice sear/sizzle temp) you’re going to take your butter and let that melt, then evenly distribute your sugar and place the apricots flat side down into the butter and sugar. This is going to start the delectable caramelization that will make this dish sing.
halved apricots face down in skillet with butter

After a few minutes of letting the apricots caramelize, grab that lovely Blossom Rosé and deglaze the pan with about ¼ cup of the wine. Once that’s nearly evaporated and you’re left with a glossy syrup drenching the apricots, remove the pan from the heat and take either a spatula or tongs and flip the apricots cut side up.
Here’s the last minute assembly: place the squares of brie down first, then a blackberry. That’s it. Slid it under your broiler and watch carefully. You do NOT want to walk away from this. Depending on how your broiler behaves this could take 10 seconds or 75 seconds, but you want that cheese to get a few bubbles and brown spots and then you’re done. *note, the blackberries may change color, but they’ll still taste incredible!
apricots face up in cast iron skillet with brie and blackberries in the hollow of each, garnished with slivered basil

Sprinkle with your basil and serve by itself or, if you love yourself – with ice cream! This dish is the perfect mix of sweet and savory and is a delicious nod to summer flavors. We hope you enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

4 apricots, halved
3 TBSP butter
1TBSP sugar
1/4 cup Blossom Rosé
1.5 – 2oz of brie cheese, cut into squares
8 blackberries
Basil for garnish