Cooking using wine has a rich history tracing back to the days where there were no refrigerators and wine was therefore used to preserve meat.
That, however, is a story for another day. In this piece, we shall be looking at how we can cook, and timely prepare our food with wine.
Color.
While cooking with wine, you need to consider thecolor of wine you use, depending on the people you are preparing the meal for.
If the eaters are more susceptible to react to histamine then you should use a lighter wine rather than dark wine.
Red wines have higher concentrations of healthy polyphenols which are said to have properties that keep your heart healthy and prevent you from getting cancer.
Amount of sugar
Another aspect to consider while preparing food with wine is the amount of sugar the wine contains. High alcohol wines will have more calories, unlike low alcohol wines.
One can also decide to use natural wine, which does not contain more than 200 additives that are normally present in both red and white wine.
Natural wine is grown organically and left to ferment by itself as it slowly turns into wine.
You can grab yourself a bottle of natural wine by scrolling through Drinksupermarket UK and figure out which brand makes the best natural wine.
Until you get your preferred bottle of wine for cooking, it is only wise to cook with wine that you normally drink.
See Drink delivery companies’ reviews and determine some of the best wine selling companies’ services around your location and have your next bottle of wine delivered to your doorstep.
Marination
When it comes to preparation, there are many ways that chefs all around the world advise people to unravel the best taste profiles.
Marinating steaks in wine will help break down theprotein‘s toughness since wine contains tannins that make the food soft. Vino’s acidity will also help balance out the meat’s oils and fats and add more moisture.
Timing when to pour your wine while cooking is a tricky bit. This is because the darker the wine the longer it should be let to simmer in the food. White wine does not need a long time to burn off the alcohol in it.
Remember that you should not be able to smell alcohol in the food when it is ready to be served.
Amount
You also need to know the correct amount of wine to use while preparing your meal. For soups, use two tablespoons of wine per cup of broth; for sauces, use one tablespoon per cup of sauce; and for meats and stews, use a quarter cup per kilo of steak.
The main aim of using wine while cooking is, to sum up, the acidity of the dish and bring out more flavor.
Timing and flavor
It is important to add wine while cooking early on for the alcohol to burn and evaporate instead of dashing some wine at the end of cooking which leads to the development of an unpleasant raw wine taste to the dish.
Knowing when to add wine while cooking different meals is critical. This is major because wine is very tricky to handle with heat. It might go wrong so fast.
Young wines that contain strong fruit notes are best for cooking since they leave their fruitful flavors after most of the alcohol has been cooked off.
To achieve the best flavors of wine while preparing different dishes, you need to be keen when to add them, here are some of the times you need to add wine.
While simmering: from braises, stews, and sauces, add your wine early on during the simmering stage. After your simmered food is browned and the wine is reduced, pour in more of whatever liquid you are cooking within.
For sauces: after you have made your meat, reduce your wine on the same pan while scraping off any brown bits in the pan. Add other liquid ingredients that form up the sauce after the reduced wine forms a syrupy consistency.
While making marinades: add your wine together with all your other ingredients. You could also use your marinade as a base while making other sauces.
For wine-infused risottos: pour your wine in just after your rice has been lightly toasted with the soft brown onions. Ensure the wine is almost cooked off before you pour in the broth.
For sauteed food (seafood): add your wine just after the first searing but make sure the fish is not cooked through to give the wine some time to reduce.
Conclusion:
Generally cooking with wine is a bit challenging but very rewarding if done correctly.
Recipes that include wine are also simple and delicious.
Some of the popular ways you can use wine in cooking are; intensifying the richness of a mussels broth, preparing some sauce out from a pan of seared steak, flavor some onion jam, and soak some fruits for dessert.