Wines have always been a favorite ingredient for any adventurous chef! Wines will be used to create a zesty marinade. But it can also be used as a way to add pizazz to a dish before serving. Some will also use wine as a liquid to replace water or other cooking liquids.
The idea of using wine – just like using any other seasoning – is to enhance a food without covering up its natural taste.
If you are cooking the wine, the alcohol will evaporate, leaving flavor, but no alcohol. The amount of wine is always an art and sometimes a trial and error. Too much wine will overcome the food, but too little will not add to the flavor.
Just like any marinade or ingredient, it is always best to use the wine in the recipe rather than pouring wine on the food just before serving. The wine’s flavors will seep into the food and enhance its flavor it is not a last minute thought. The rule is to add the wine not less than 10 minutes before the food has finished cooking
The best cooks will add wine to only one dish in a meal. You would never want every food on the plate to be seasoned with garlic or any other seasoning and you also don’t want all the food items to be wine-flavored.
And don’t feel like you have to use the entire bottle of wine… An opened wine will last just fine in your refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks IF you are planning to use it to cook with.
Not Just For Drinking!
