Ever wondered this: Why do chefs cook with alcohol, anyway? (In other words, shouldn’t you just drink it? After all, isn’t that what it’s made for?)
There are, in fact, a fair number of reasons why the kitchen workshop is a prime place for booze. Here’s a quick rundown of the main reasons you may wish to sprinkle your drink in a pan, pot or dish rather than toast your friends in a fancy glass.
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A Matter of Taste
The main reason is pretty simple. It all comes down to flavor, as fermentation intensifies and concentrates the taste of its base ingredient, infusing the dish with its essence. A good example: Many common cooking extracts, such as vanilla, are actually alcohol-based themselves.
There are other reasons to incorporate alcohol that are wholly based on how the substance itself interacts with food. It chemically reacts with and releases natural flavors in certain foods, can work to tenderize some meats, has the ability to leaven breads and baked goods, and is unmatched in dramatic presentations like flambés.
Of Course, You Can Always Just Drink It
As you probably already know, pairing food with the right alcoholic drink is a complete art form in and of itself. When figuring out which drink to serve with which food, however, there are a few guidelines you probably want to consider.
When matching up food and drink, first think about whether you want to complement or contrast the flavor of your dish. Neither one is better than the other; it just depends on personal artistry and the variety of food you are serving.
A quick way to delineate: Acidity in a drink can offset rich foods. Carbonation can clean your palate. Think about the heaviness of the dishes you are preparing and whether the drinks you have planned will stand up to the occasion or get lost in the overall menu.
Ready to Get Cooking?
If you feel you’re ready to jump in, we’re offering a quick guide to a completely spirited meal that should leave everyone feeling satisfied.
Appetizers
For your starting course, it’s hard to beat a classic wine and cheese pairing. Obviously you will not be cooking with this wine … or cooking at all. Shop for your favorite cheeses and follow a few simple guidelines.
Soft, pungent cheeses pair best with white wines, while hard, milder cheeses go better with red wines. Once you have those basics down, experiment with specific favorites.
You can go a little deeper too: Sweeter white wines are more versatile than dry ones, so be sure to stretch that pairing to see how it works. Champagne is a good pair for stronger cheeses.
Entrées
Just about any meat can be prepared with alcohol, using methods ranging from marinating to glazing. Ready to sauce up your dish?
Wine is far and away the most popular choice for cooking, but you can even get quite creative (as in this rum-and-Coke-glazed ham recipe). Also consider spirits, including amaretto, beer, bourbon, champagne and tequila, depending upon the type and cut of meat you are working with.
Sides
Don’t leave out the veggies; they could use a bit of pizazz as well! Probably the easiest and most delicious method for treating vegetables is an alcohol-based glaze. You can try this recipe for whiskey-glazed carrots as a starting point, and after mastering that, move on to different and more complicated flavor combinations.
Dessert
Ah yes, how sweet it is — the use of alcohol in a delightful dessert! There are actually hundreds of sweets that successfully incorporate spirits. However, the classic standard is cherries jubilee, which lights up the party with a brandy-based flambé show.
Don’t let that limit you, though. You can incorporate alcohol into other treats as well. Sweet potions work well in this department, as you probably can guess: Try jazzing up chocolate with coffee, orange, or Kahlua liqueurs; add champagne or wine to a fruit compote; kick up lemon desserts with limoncello; or throw a splash of bourbon into a rich caramel dish.
Feeling full at this point? There’s got to be a little room left for a digestif. Enjoy!
Sources:
- http://kitchenhelpfulhints.com/cooking/alcohol-cooking.htm
- http://onmilwaukee.com/dining/articles/cookingwithalcohol.html
- http://basicwineknowledge.blogspot.com/2008/02/basic-wine-and-cheese-pairings.html
- http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/10/the-basics-of-pairing-drinks-with-your-food.html
- http://www.trendhunter.com/slideshow/alcoholic-desserts
- http://www.womansday.com/food-recipes/dessert-recipes/10-treats-spirits-105990