I’m
sure you’ve heard the old line: “I love
cooking with wine, sometimes I even put it in the food.” And it's true! There are
numerous dishes that are amazingly better with the addition of a bit of wine, beer
or liqueur. Alcohol also makes a wonderful tenderizer and marinade. But just what percentage
of alcohol remains in the food when you’re done?
Let's take a look at five tips for cooking with wine and how much of it remains in the final dish.
1)
What wine to use?
It's your choice. There are numerous cooking wines available, but you can also
use what’s left from the bottle you opened last night, as long as it pairs
well with the dish.
2)
Wine is not a main flavor ingredient.
Wine and other liqueurs are used as an ingredient to bring out the dish's flavor. And sometime, for the WOW factor of a visual presentation.
3)
Wine is best cooked at a lower temperature.
Wine is usually added to a sauce
then simmered slowly in order to concentrate
those sublime flavors while it is also reducing the alcohol content.
4)
Always simmer the wine first.
Then if called for, you can add any cream, broths or stock to the
recipe and not cover up the heightened flavors provided by the wine.
5)
Pay attention to the time.
Cook the wine on too high of heat for too long and
the flavors can become acidic and burnt. Cooking with wine is more of a
slow, simmering process.
The
US Department of Agriculture has calculated the percentage of alcohol remaining
in a dish based on the heat temperature used and the amount of time it took to
cook the dish.
•
Alcohol added to boiling liquid and removed from heat retains 85%
•
Alcohol that is flamed (Flambé) retains
75%
•
Alcohol added without heat and food is stored in overnight (marinade) retains
70%
•
Alcohol that is stirred into a mixture and baked retains as follows:
Time
in Hours % of Alcohol
Retained
15
minutes 40%
30
minutes 35%
1
hour 25%
1.5
hours 20%
2
hours 10%
2.5
hours 5%
Cooking
with wine will add extra moisture to a dish and help reduce the need for oils
and fats. Usually white wine goes best with more delicate dishes: fish and
chicken with veggies, while red wines are hardier and can give highly seasoned meats
and side dishes an interesting depth. Don’t be afraid to experiment – and enjoy the results.
~
Joy
Yes, there are plenty of wine designated holidays: National Wine
Day, National Drink Wine Day, Chardonnay Day, Pinot Noir Day, Sauvignon Blanc
Day, Champagne Day, Muscato Day…. (You get the idea.)
While you may not want to take the time to jump through all
of the bureaucratic hoops to designate an “official” day, you can proclaim it
to be whatever day you’d like tomorrow on social media.
