As you may know, white wines are perfect for summer time. But this summer, don’t just drink them, cook with them too. Add a splash here and a splash there to the delicious recipes you will cook this summer whether it is tasty marinara sauce or beef tenderloin with a creamy mushroom sauce. Trust me, cooking with white wine is way more fun, and tastier too.
First Things First
When grocery shopping, you may have noticed that there are wines labeled ‘cooking wines’. Never cook with them! These wines tend to be harsh and unbalanced and will badly affect the flavour of your dish. Here’s a tip: cook with wine you’d drink, period.
Types of White Wine to Cook With
The type of white wine you use to cook is important because it will either make or break the flavours of the dish. For example, the creamy Chardonnay wines enhance the buttery element of cream sauces just like the crisp Sauvignon Blanc wines boost the flavour of aromatic chicken piccata. Hence why it is important to use the right wine.
You may be wondering what will happen if you use a Sauvignon Blanc in a cream sauce? Well, to be honest, the wine will not ruin the sauce, however the sauce will definitely taste different from the one prepared with a creamier wine variety. Overall, the flavours present in a white wine varietal (from apple to citrus, to oak, to grass, etc.) will definitely characterize the flavour of the dish.
Cooking Time
Cooking time is another important factor when cooking with white wine. That is because alcohol can certainly make a dish taste harsh. But the harshness of the alcohol softens during cooking time since the alcohol evaporates. So, adding the wine at the end of the cooking process is not recommended. Moreover, allowing the wine to cook for longer in the dish will intensify the flavour characteristics and will deepen amazingly.
Techniques to Apply When Cooking With White Wine
When it comes to cooking with white wine, there are various techniques you can use, more than just sauteing and marinating. You can:
- Macerate – soak a meat in a white wine to soften it.
- Deglaze – dissolve the remaining sauteed food in a pot by adding and heating wine.
- Simmer – keep cooking at just below the boiling point.
- Poach – cooking in a simmering liquid.
What to Cook With White Wine?
Although cooking with white wine will enhance the flavours of the dish, note that not all types of food tolerate white wine the same. Stick to fish, veal, chicken, olive oil pasta sauces and cream sauces. Avoid cooking red meat with white wine.
Now that you got a hang of cooking with white wine, all you need to do is choose a recipe and grab that bottle of white wine you’ve been waiting to try. Do not forget to pour yourself a glass to enjoy while preparing the dish.
