I am not much in the way of a cook and am certainly no chef, but when I do prepare a simple meal or more realistically, assist my wife in doing so, I love to add some wine, both as a cooking ingredient and enjoying while preparing the meal and serving alongside the meal.
When cooking with wine you still need to pair it with your food in the same manner as you would pair wine you serve with your meal. Besides, there is a good chance you will have sufficient wine left over from cooking to enjoy with your dinner. For example, pair a light-coloured wine with lighter meats like fish or chicken, and a robust red with beef or lamb.
Wine can also be a great cooking substitute. For example, a splash of white wine can sometimes substitute for acidic ingredients such as lemon juice or vinegar.
When adding wine as part of the cooking process, be sure to add it early. This will allow the alcohol to cook off and flavours to meld.
Here are some quick and easy ways to include wine:
After browning meat or vegetables in a pan, you can deglaze the pan by adding a splash of wine. Scrape the bottom to lift the flavourful browned bits and then continue with your recipe.
For quick sauces, like pasta sauce, add 1-2 tablespoons of wine per cup of sauce to the pan. Let it simmer for at least 10 minutes before tasting and adding more if desired.
For a final flavour enhancement, add a small amount of wine just before serving, but be aware that the alcohol may not completely cook off.
One ingenious idea I came across is to freeze leftover wine in an ice cube tray. Then you will always have wine available to add as a flavour boost whenever it is required.
One thing that I recommend you always do is cook with the same wine that you would drink. Don’t substitute cheap and cheery wine when cooking. Use the same quality of wine in your pot or pan as you would in your goblet or glass. As the saying goes, “Life is too short to have bad wine.”
Sláinte mhaith
