When it comes to food, wine is probably thought of as the perfect accompaniment to the menu. In fact, wine is also an important part of many dishes. It is the flavors, acids, and sugars contained in wine that give meat dishes, fish menus, and even desserts interesting new facets. In this article, you will learn what you need to pay attention to.”
Consider the characteristics of each dish
Different wines are used in the preparation of dishes. For example, white wine is often used to refine fish and poultry, while red wine is used as a spice for beef, game, and hearty stews. Sweeter wines like port and sherry are often mixed with desserts like parfaits and creams, as well as casseroles.
To ensure that each of these dishes is successful, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the ingredients. For example, if you are preparing acidic foods like lemons and vinegar with white wine, the additional acidity of the wine can negatively affect the overall flavor. On the other hand, tannins contained in red wine can lead to a bitter flavor in sharply browned and subsequently braised dishes. This can be avoided, for example, with fatty cream.
To evaporate the alcohol content of the wines, it is important to ensure a sufficient cooking time. After an hour, about 65% of the alcohol has evaporated. When evaporating, the substance responsible for the typical cork taste, trichloroacetic acid, is also dissolved.”
Use only wines that you would drink
If you watch professionals cooking, you will notice that they only use high-quality wines. You should follow this example. After all, inferior bottlings only lead to an inferior result.
A good choice are classic basic wines with not too dominant flavors. It has proven successful to choose for cooking especially varieties from the country from which the dish comes – for example, Italian wines for Italian pasta. A wide selection of wines from different countries can be found, for example, at ViniGrandi.”
Dose the wine correctly
How the dish tastes in the end is largely dependent on the amount of wine added. Too little wine is not sufficient to stand out. Too much wine, on the other hand, dominates the taste too much. With proper dosing, it gives the ingredients an interesting new spice. A good guideline for four people is 200 to 250 ml for dishes with rich sauce. 100 ml is enough to rinse.
It is advisable to start with a little less and taste regularly. It is always possible to season again. However, once the wine aroma is dominant, it is hardly possible to reduce it.”
Use wine instead of water and broth
Wine should only be used as a substitute for water or broth. This ensures that it does not bring additional liquid, but only changes the flavor nuances.
Reduce on low heat
Wine should only be reduced on low heat, as the aroma is otherwise boiled out. Proceed slowly and stir in a piece of cold butter at the end of the reduction. Use a whisk if possible.
White wine for light, red wine for dark sauces
When you start cooking with wine, you should initially stick to this basic rule. Later you can also try contrasts – for example, red wine for light and white wine for dark. To get close to the desired result, add spoonfuls of wine while cooking until you get the desired result. By the way, if you want to know if wine goes with coffee, take a look at this article from us.”