Tips for Cooking with Wine

By Michelle Ann Gelder


Actually, cooking with wine is far from fancy. There are more complicated cooking techniques out there. Cooking with wine is open to experimentation and individual expression. This article will open your eyes into one of the simplest but most effective cooking techniques. Cooking with wine intensifies the natural flavor of foods and will lend an essence to your food that is hard to explain.

How Much is Too Much

Cooking with wine is all about what works for you. There are really no hard and fast rules. What you need to remember, however, is to put in a little bit at first. If you don't follow this tip, you will soon find out that it's almost impossible to salvage a dish that got drenched in wine. Another thing to keep in mind is that alcohol does not give wine it's distinctive taste. Wine is composed of just a small amount of alcohol and most of that evaporates throughout the cooking process.

You can also boil down the wine, as this will help concentrate the flavor, such as sweetness or acidity. You do have to be careful not to use too much, as it can easily overpower the flavor of the dish. Begin with a small amount to allow the flavors in the dish to blend. You can always add more, if needed.

What Makes a Good Cooking Wine

No. The type of wine that you want to use for cooking is the kind that you would like to drink. Lower priced wines shouldn't be used for cooking but that doesn't mean you need a $100 bottle, either. You can find a great medium grade wine for under $10 a bottle. It will work just fine.

A common red or white wine that you enjoy would be a good starting point. For marinades, sauting, chicken, and seafood - applications not requiring intense flavor - it's hard to go wrong with a Sauvignon Blanc. Red meats or sauces with a red meat base have inherently deep flavor, so a more powerful wine is in order. A Chianti or Cabernet Sauvignon is perfect for the job.

Other Tips

Tips for Cooking with Wine The more you cook with wine, the better you will get at determining how it will affect and flavor your dishes. Here are six good tips to help you get started:

Replace the water in a recipe with your favorite wine. Add a tablespoon or two of red wine to your brown gravy. Let it simmer for a bit to let the alcohol evaporate. Make a marinade of your favorite flavored oil and wine for meat and poultry. It is best to heat the wine for meat dishes before you add it. However, avoid boiling it because it will lose a lot of its flavor. Warm wine helps to tenderize meat, while a cold wine can make your meat a little bit tougher. Heavier red meats, such as roasts, need a dry red wine. Lighter meats, such as pork, poultry, and fish, do well with a white wine. You can balance a meal quite nicely by serving the same wine you used in your recipes. If you want a different wine, at least keep similar, such as reds with reds.

Closing Thoughts

Cooking with wine can be a fun experience. Don't be afraid to try it out today. You can only get better with practice. And with tips like these, it's hard to go wrong. Cooking in a crock pot is the perfect way to slow cook anything and adding some wine to your favourite beef stew crock pot recipe will create a delicious meal for the whole family.




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