Cooking with wine

Wine has three main uses in the kitchen - as a marinade ingredient, as a cooking liquid, and as a flavoring in a finished dish. The function of wine in cooking is to intensify, enhance and accent the flavor and aroma of food - not to mask the flavor of what you are cooking but rather to fortify it. As with any seasoning used in cooking, care should be taken in the amount of wine used - too little is inconsequential and too much will be overpowering. Neither extreme is desirable. A small quantity of wine will enhance the flavor of the dish.

The alcohol in the wine evaporates while the food is cooking, and only the flavor remains. Boiling down wine concentrates the flavor, including acidity and sweetness. Be careful not to use too much wine as the flavor could overpower your dish.

For best results, wine should not be added to a dish just before serving. The wine should simmer with the food, or sauce, to enhance the flavor of the dish. If added late in the preparation, it could impart a harsh quality.  It should simmer with the food or in the sauce while it is being cooked; as the wine cooks, it reduces and becomes an extract which flavors. Wine added too late in the preparation will give a harsh quality to the dish. A wine needs time to impart its flavor in your dish. Wait 10 minutes or more to taste before adding more wine.

Remember that wine does not belong in every dish. More than one wine-based sauce in a single meal can be monotonous. Use wine is cooking only when it has something to contribute to the finished dish.

Sulphate in Wine - All wines contain at least some small amount of Sulphate. They are a natural result of the same fermentation process that turns grape juice into alcohol. Even wines that have not had any Sulphate added during the winemaking process contain some amount of Sulphate. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is used by winemakers to keep freshly pressed must from spoiling. It keeps down the activities of native yeast and bacteria and preserves the freshness of the wine.

When cooking with wine containing Sulphate, you do not concentrate them as you would flavor, but rather they evaporate like alcohol. The Sulphate goes through a conversion in the liquid of the wine to produce sulfur dioxide. This is actually the compound that prevents the oxidation. It also is a gas, and when subjected to heat, it dissipates into the air. All that remains is some salts, but they are so minute in quantity that they have no affect on flavor.

Storage of Leftover Wine - Leftover table wine can be refrigerated and used for cooking if held for only one or two weeks. If you have at least a half bottle on wine left over, pour it off into a clean half bottle, cork it, and store in the refrigerator. without air space at the top, the rebottled wine will keep for up to one month.
 

Wine Reduction for Pan Sauces

1/2 to 3/4 cup raw wine = 2 tablespoons of wine reduction

For ultimate flavor, wine should be reduced slowly over low heat. This method takes more time and effort, but will achieve a superior sauce because the flavor compounds present in the wine are better preserved.

Traditional formula for pairing wine with cooking

Young, full bodied red wine	Red meat, red meat dishes
Young, full bodied, robust red wine	Red sauces
Earthy red, full bodied red wine	Soups with root vegetables and stock
Dry white wine or dry fortified wine	Fish/shellfish/seafood, poultry, pork, veal
Dry white wine or dry fortified wine	Light/cream sauces
Crisp, dry white wine	Seafood soups, bouillabaisse
Sweet white wine or sweet fortified wine	Sweet desserts
Dry, fortified wine (i.e.: sherry)	Consommé, poultry, vegetable soups
Regional cuisine	Regional wine

Actual Consumption of Alcohol

The amount of alcohol that remains in your dish is dependent on the manner and length of preparation. Typically, the alcohol in the wine evaporates while cooking and only the flavor remains. The following table of alcohol shows the remaining after food preparation

100%	Immediate Consumption
70%	Overnight Storage
85%	Boiling liquid, remove from heat
75%	Flamed
Dishes that have been baked or simmered:
40%	After 15 minutes
35%	After 30 minutes
25%	After 1 hour
20%	After 1.5 hours
10%	After 2 hours
5%	After 2.5 hours

Alcohol Evaporation in Cooking and Baking

A study conducted several years ago showed that alcohol remained in several recipes after the preparation was complete. In the study, a pot roast was simmered with burgundy for two and a half hours; a chicken dish was simmered for only ten minutes after the burgundy was added; scalloped oysters made with dry sherry baked for 25 minutes; and cherries jubilee was doused with brandy, then ignited. The results showed that anywhere from 4 to 78 percent of the initial amount of alcohol remained when the dishes were done.

But here's the shocker: Would you believe that the cherries jubilee had the highest alcohol retention of all four recipes? Around 78 percent of the alcohol remained after the flames went out. The study's authors concluded that cooking will result in the removal of some, but not all, of the alcohol.

In the study, the extent of alcohol loss depended on a couple factors: First, how severe the heat was when applied in the cooking process; second, the pot's surface area. The bigger the pan, the more surface area, the more alcohol that evaporates during cooking.

Alcohol Burn Off in Cooking

To cook a sauce for at least 20 to 30 seconds after adding wine to it to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Since alcohol evaporates at 172°F (78°C), any sauce or stew that is simmering or boiling is certainly hot enough to evaporate the alcohol.

Preparation Method	Percent of Alcohol Retained
Alcohol added to boiling liquid & removed from heat	85%
Alcohol flamed	75%
No heat, stored overnight	70%
Baked, 25 minutes, alcohol not stirred into mixture	45%
15 minutes	40%
30 minutes	35%
1 hour	25%
1.5 hours	20%
2 hours	10%
2.5 hours	5%

Following is a general list of non-alcoholic substitutes that can be used when cooking with alcohol is simply not an option. Chose the option that best matches the flavor of the dish you are making.

Amaretto -  Non-Alcoholic almond extract. (Substitute 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon almond extract for 2 tablespoons Amaretto.)

Anisette - Anise Italian soda syrup or fennel. Also use the herbs anise or fennel.

Beer - Chicken broth, beef broth, mushroom broth, white grape juice, ginger ale.

Bourbon - 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of non-alcoholic vanilla extract.

Brandy - Water, white grape juice, apple cider or apple juice, diluted peach or apricot syrups. (Substitute equal amounts of liquid.)

Champagne - Ginger ale, sparkling apple cider, sparkling cranberry juice, or sparkling white grape juice.

Coffee Liqueur - To replace 2 tablespoons of liqueur, use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of chocolate extract mixed with 1 teaspoon of instant coffee, which has been mixed in 2 tablespoons of water. Can also substitute expresso, non-alcoholic coffee extract or coffee syrup.

Cognac - Juice from peaches, apricots, or pears.

Cointreau - Orange juice or frozen orange juice concentrate.

Creme de menthe - Spearmint extract or oil of spearmint diluted with a little water or grapefruit juice.

Grand Marnier or Orange-Flavored Liqueur - Unsweetened orange juice concentrate or orange juice. (Substitute 2 tablespoons unsweetened orange juice concentrate or 2 tablespoons orange juice and 1/2 teaspoon orange extract for 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier.)

Kahlua - Coffee or chocolate-flavored liqueur. (Substitute 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chocolate extract or substitute 1/2 to 1 teaspoon instant coffee in 2 tablespoons water for 2 tablespoons Kahlua.)

Kirsch - Syrup or juices from cherries, raspberries, boysenberries, currants, or cider. (Substitute equal amounts of liquid.)

Peppermint Schnapps - Non-alcoholic mint or peppermint extract, mint Italian soda syrup, or mint leaves.

Port Wine, Sweet Sherry, or Fruit-Flavored Liqueur) - Orange juice or apple juice. (Substitute equal amount of liquid.)

Rum (light or dark) - Water, white grape juice, pineapple juice, apple juice or apple cider, or syrup flavored with almond extract. (Substitute equal amounts of liquid.)

Sake - Rice vinegar.

Sherry or Bourbon - Orange or pineapple juices, peach syrup, or non-alcoholic vanilla extract. (Substitute equal amount of liquid 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.)

Southern Comfort - Peach flavored nectar combined with a small amount of cider vinegar.

Tequila - Cactus juice or nectar.

Triple Sec - Orange juice concentrate, orange juice, orange zest or orange marmalade.

Vermouth, Dry - White grape juice, white wine vinegar, or non-alcoholic white wine.

Vermouth, Sweet - Apple juice, grape juice, balsamic vinegar, non-alcoholic sweet wine, or water with lemon juice.

Whiskey - If a small amount is called for, it can be eliminated.

Vodka - White grape juice or apple cider combined with lime juice or use plain water in place of the vodka.

Wines

Gewurztraminer - White grape juice combined with lemon juice.

Grappa - Grape juice.

Port Wine - Concord grape juice with some lime zest added, cranberry juice with some lemon juice added, or grape juice concentrate. Substitute orange juice or apple juice for lighter ports

Red Wine - Red grape juice, cranberry juice, chicken broth, beef broth, vegetable broth, clam juice, fruit juices, flavored vinegar. (Substitute equal amount of liquid.)

White Wine - Water, chicken broth, vegetable broth, white grape juice, ginger ale, white grape juice.

Sweet White Wine - White grape juice plus 1 tablespoons Karo corn syrup. (Substitute equal amount of liquid.)

Wine Selection:

The first and most important rule: Use only wines in your cooking that you would drink. Never, never use any wine that you WOULD NOT DRINK! If your do not like the taste of a wine, you will not like the dish you choose to use it in.

Do not use the so-called "cooking wines!"  These wine are typically salty and include other additives that my affect the taste of your chosen dish and menu. The process of cooking/reducing will bring out the worst in an inferior wine. Please promise yourself never, never to stoop to such a product!  Linda's rule of thumb is: I do not cook with something I will not drink.

An expensive wine is not necessary, although a cheap wine will not bring out the best characteristics of your dish. A good quality wine, that you enjoy, will provide the same flavor to a dish as a premium wine. Save the premium wine to serve with the meal.

Saké

Good sake is not served hot! It is brewed like beer but is actually a wine that is tasted and served like a white wine.

Saké is something of a hybrid between beer and wine, with its production and shelf life resembling beer brewing and its taste and body more similar to wine. Sake is an all-natural rice-based fermented alcoholic beverage, which is made from four main ingredients: rice, water, yeast, and koji (an enzyme). With so many varieties of white rice alone, of which only about 50 are suitable, the taste rests on, above all, the quality of the rice and water.

Sakés are not bottled with a vintage. The vast majority are not aged past six months and are designed to be consumed quickly, not cellared like wine. It does not age like wine and is best when fresh. It has a shelf life of approximately 2 years. Once opened, saké will stay fresh for approximately 1 week in the refrigerator. It is recommended that saké be served at 45 degrees F. (7 degrees C). Saké should also be store in a cool place, out of strong light.

Top quality sakés (Ginjo grade or higher) are best if drunk at room temperature to chilled. Good saké is most often served chilled, while mediocre saké is generally served hot to mask flavors. Think of saké like it is a fine chardonnay wine, which is very nice if served at room temperature, still quite nice and maybe a bit more refreshing if served chilled, but then loses all its flavor if served ice cold.

The tasting technique for saké is essentially the same as you would a wine, swishing the saké around your mouth to make sure it reaches the taste buds on the underside of the tongue as well.

Tasting sake is an easy lesson in anatomy, legs, nose, mouth.

Look at those legs. Swirl the saké. If rich legs form on the glass, the saké will have more body (more anatomy), generally rich flavors, and feel more full or round in the mouth. It should be clear, but occasionally may be slightly yellow.

The nose knows.  Swirling releases tiny droplets in the glass allowing us to more easily smell the saké. Try smelling saké before you swirl, then swirl and smell again. The difference in intensity should be significant. What do you smell? Think in terms of familiar aromas. Common saké aromas include honeydew, cantaloupes, peach, tropical fruits, mineral, earth, green apple, coconut, anise. If these aromas would enhance your meal (think tropical fruit salsa on grilled chicken), then the saké and the food should work well together.

Time to drink it.  You will taste flavors equivalent to some, but not necessarily all, of the aromas you noticed. The basic tastes your tongue recognizes are sweet, sour, salt, and bitter. Of course saké does not have salt and should not be bitter. But tropical spices, mineral, coconut, an earthiness, and, of course, rich creamy saké rice is often noticed on the palette. Fruit-infused sakes should have aromas and flavors true to their particular infusion. Ideally, the flavors will linger. A long finish is a sign of good saké How To Cook With Saké:

Today, saké is used as an aperitif, mixing it in cocktails, pairing it with all kinds of food at the dinner table, and even using it as a cooking ingredient. Cooking with sake can be a pleasure and an enhancement to good food and a fine meal!

The first and most important rule: Use only sakes in your cooking that you would drink. Never, never use any sake that you WOULD NOT DRINK! If your do not like the taste of a sake, you will not like the dish you choose to use it in. The process of cooking/reducing will bring out the worst in an inferior sake.

An expensive saké is not necessary, although a cheap saké will not bring out the best characteristics of your dish. A good quality saké that you enjoy, will provide the same flavor to a dish as a good quality wine. Save the premium saké to serve with the meal. For best results, saké, just like wine, should not be added to a dish just before serving. It should simmer with the food, or sauce, to enhance the flavor of the dish. If added late in the preparation, it could impart a harsh quality.

several styles of saké, from dry to sweet, from delicate to robust, just as there are different styles of white grape based wines.  Saké pairs well with fish, chicken, pasta, and pork.  Sweeter saké is great for spicy food and wonderful with desserts, especially berries and chocolate