Cooking with the grape

Food for thought

Cooks who are already comfortable with the subject of pairing food

on the plate with wine in the glass will most likely cook with the

same wine they plan to drink. While this is a good rule of thumb, you

may not want to pour a full cup of expensive premium wine into your

saute pan. Substitutions may be in order.

In general, both reds and whites used for cooking should be dry,

young and full of flavor. A reasonably priced California pinot noir

or cabernet will work well in recipes calling for full-bodied wine.

Try a domestic white pinot or sauvignon blanc in recipes calling for

dry white wine.

Forget the old rule that dictates red wine with red meat and white

wine with fish or fowl. Wine is supposed to enhance the flavor of the

main ingredient and the sauce that goes with it.

For example, you’ll use a white for a light fish in a butter and

lemon sauce, but go with a red for salmon finished with something a

bit spicier.

You also need to consider the character of the dish. A classic

boeuf bourguignon (French beef stew) needs a full-bodied, young red

wine. You can use the same wine in coq au vin (French chicken in red

wine) because the dish is classically prepared with beef stock.

In some recipes, wine is used in large quantities for stewing or

poaching. It is also used in smaller quantities as the base of

sauces. The pan is first de-glazed with wine, other ingredients are

added and the sauce is reduced.

When cooking “with the grape” the most important thing to consider

is the flavor of the wine loosely defined as fruity, earthy, spicy or

herbal. You can’t always rely on the kind of grape used (varietals)

or the region in which the grape was grown (as in European wines).

The taste of California chardonnay can range from smoky to fruity

depending on where it was grown and how it was stored.

Wine, like flavored vinegars, will bring out the nuances of flavor

in the food. Zinfandels can have a raisin-like taste, light whites

can introduce layers of apples, peach or citrus flavors. Most of the

reds, like cabernets, have a more intense, complex flavor that should

enhance, rather than overpower the food.

Here are a few suggestions for everyone who spends time in the

kitchen.

First, trust your own taste and experience. If you usually enjoy a

thick steak with a particular cabernet sauvignon, use that wine, or a

similar one, when your recipe for a beef dish calls for red wine.

Try to learn a little about pairing food with wine served at the

table, and use those suggestions when cooking.

You can always visit a good wine shop and ask them to recommend

something to serve with a particular dish. If the price is

reasonable, buy an extra bottle to use in your recipe. Someone will

always finish it. If you’re purchasing very expensive wine, get a

recommendation for something that works well with the flavor of your

food and costs a little less.

Check out local cooking schools, community colleges and cooking

supply stores for classes that have anything to do with food and

wine.

If you rely on wine recommendations at a restaurant and discover

some combination of wine and food are especially good, try it at

home.

Never use “cooking wine.” The purpose of wine in any recipe is to

add flavor. Have you ever tasted any of that stuff?

Another mistake people make is to open a bottle, decide they don’t

like it, and put it in the refrigerator to use for cooking. If the

wine isn’t suitable to drink, it doesn’t deserve to go into your

food.

Unless you’re using wine for poaching, always burn off the alcohol

as soon as you add the wine. After you’ve done that, don’t be tempted

to add more wine if the sauce needs to be diluted. Use water or broth

instead.

Teetotalers can always substitute water, chicken, beef, or

vegetable broth for wine. You can also experiment with a little

unsweetened fruit juice.

When a recipe calls for white wine and none is available, use dry

white vermouth. I prefer it in some recipes.

The best thing about learning how to cook with wine is the

experimenting. When the recipe calls for a dry white, try using a

chardonnay once and repeat the recipe with a sauvignon blanc. You’ll

quickly discover which one is more appealing. And don’t forget to

keep notes.

Everything I’ve ever read about wine includes the warning that

there are no hard and fast rules about the subject. It’s all a matter

of taste.

* LILLIAN REITER is a Laguna Beach resident.