The secrets to perfection: Use the best strawberries and chocolate you can, and be sure your strawberries are bone-dry before you dip them into the melted chocolate or the chocolate will seize into a mass. Yields about 1 dozen.
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped into almond-size pieces
2 tsp. neutral vegetable oil, such as grapeseed or canola
1 pint medium-size ripe fresh strawberries (preferably with stems), rinsed and dried
Melt the chocolate with the oil in a small, deep heatproof bowl set in a skillet holding about 1 inch of barely simmering water, whisking occasionally until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat.
Line a small rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper. Tilt the bowl to pool the chocolate on one side. Dip each strawberry into the chocolate to cover about two-thirds of the berry, or until the chocolate reaches the strawberry’s shoulders. Turn the berry to coat it evenly, lift it out of the chocolate, and gently shake off any excess. Carefully lay it on the waxed paper. If the dipping chocolate begins to cool and thicken, return the bowl to the water bath to heat it briefly.
Let the berries stand at room temperature for 15 minutes and then refrigerate until the chocolate is set, 20 to 30 minutes. Carefully remove the berries from the waxed paper. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 8 hours before serving.