Alcohol changes the taste of food just like salt or spices. It also strongly affects the texture of the product, which is why wine or cognac is added to meat marinades. How else can you use wine in cooking?
Wine enhances the taste and aroma of food by releasing esters of fruit acids and other aromatic substances. Acids in wine (tartaric, succinic, malic) work like citrus or acetic acids
Wine is added to marinades, as alcohol softens the texture of the meat and shortens the cooking time.
Tartaric acids emphasize the natural taste of delicate foods, so white fish is often prepared with white wine and lemon juice. White wine is added to sauces for young tender vegetables.
Scientists believe that red wine marinade kills disease-causing bacteria that may be found in meat.
The acidity of the wine curls up the protein in the cream, which makes the creamy sauces thicker. But the wine liquefies the starch base, so be careful with sauces on flour.
With the help of wine, you can save the remnants of fat and products that are left after frying meat. Add wine and steam it down a bit for a delicious sauce.
Leftover wine can be stored in ice cube trays in the freezer and used while cooking.
Alcohol lowers the melting point of the cheese, making the wine ideal with cheese fondue or cheese sauce.
Wine perfectly complements dessert dishes and hot drinks, especially ice cream, tea or coffee.
What wine goes well with dishes
A young, dense wine with earthy aromas, used to make red meat, root vegetable soup or beef.
Young, dense and strong red wines make an excellent base for red sauces.
Dry white wines are suitable for cooking fish, seafood, poultry, pork, veal and light or creamy sauces.
Clean, dry white wines are added to seafood soups.
A sweet, dry white wine used to prepare or serve desserts.
Sherry is used in the preparation of chicken or vegetable soup.
The longer the wine is boiled, the thinner, softer the taste of the dish. To get a dense, good taste of wine in food, red wine needs to be boiled in half, and white wine even longer.
Recommended quantities of wine for some dishes:
– soup – 2 tablespoons of wine per serving;
– for the sauce – a tablespoon of wine per serving;
– for frying meat – 2 tablespoons of wine per serving of liquid;
– for stews – a quarter glass of wine for 500 grams of meat;
– stewing fish in liquid – half a glass of wine per liter of liquid.