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with Katherine Alford from Food Network Kitchens
Q: What's the purpose of cooking with wine if all the alcohol burns off?
A: You want wine, which produces different nuances in taste, for flavor more than alcohol. It's why you'd use different vinegars like cider or sherry. Think of all the flavors of wine and their differences: Zinfindels can have a raisin-y quality; a lighter-style white wine can be apple-y and citrus-y. These flavors contribute to the flavors of a sauce. If you change the wine, you could have a sauce that tastes different.
Alcohol also brings out different qualities and flavors in things too. Take chocolate truffles. If you make them with dark rum, a different range of flavors come out than if raspberry liquor was added. There are some general rules to cooking with wine, such as red wine with meat and white wine with fish, but they are always broken. Try experimenting with different kinds of wine and see what kind of flavors you get. For example, if you're making Coq Au Vin, try a Riesling if you've always used red wine. For those who are wine-phobic, water or an acidic substitute called verjus can be used.
My general rules for cooking with wine are:
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Don't spend a fortune on wine to cook with.
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Be sure it's a wine you're comfortable drinking. If you wouldn't drink it, why would you cook with it?
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Be wary of cooking wine, which can be too salty or sweet and have a low alcohol content.
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Measure alcohol before use. You don't want too much in a sauce.
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Sweet alcohol and salty things don't mix well. Imagine Grand Marnier on chicken.
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Balance out flavors to make sure that a dish is not too acidic. Duck or steak can hold up flavors of complex and acidic red wine, but not white-fleshed fish.
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Reduce wine first and then add other ingredients later for sauce.
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Do not dilute a sauce or stew with more wine because it will leave a raw wine taste.
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Don't pour an open bottle of wine near an open flame. It can ignite, so don't be cavalier.
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Back to Cooking 101
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Are your muffins flat or full of air pockets? Is your meatloaf dry and crumbly? Experts from the Food Network Kitchens may be able to help. Click here to ask your culinary question and check the Cooking 101 page each week to see a new response.
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