Wine, cognac, vodka, port wine, liqueur, beer … All these alcoholic drinks can not only be drunk, but also used for culinary purposes - marinate, stew, bake, sprinkle, flambé.
The French say that in order to be successful in the kitchen, every housewife should have salt, olive oil, a mixture of herbs and a bottle of wine on hand. Alcohol in this gastronomic ensemble is designed to soften meat, give tenderness to fish, ennoble seafood, saturate desserts and sauces with aroma.
Red - for meat!
In truth, the hostess should have at hand not one, but two bottles of wine: one with white, the other with red. The latter is useful if you decide to cook meat, because dry scarlet is suitable for any kind of it - lamb, beef, pork, chicken, game, rabbit (perhaps only with the exception of white chicken breast and tender veal). If sprinkled with spices and marinated in wine (or at least drizzled with it), the natural sourness of the alcohol will soften the meat fibers and make the dish more tender and melt in your mouth.
Another option for the competent use of red wine is to add it while stewing minced meat (0.5-1 glass per 1 kg of meat), drizzle on a piece before baking, or boil a large part of the carcass in it. In most cases, the alcohol evaporates during cooking, softening the treat and leaving behind a savory aroma.
White - for fish!
If you want to cook fish or seafood, get dry white wine out of the cabinet. When you fry shrimp, mussels and squid in a skillet, add a couple tablespoons of alcohol and let it evaporate - there will be no trace of the specific sea taste, but the products will acquire a light grape aroma. Try sprinkling white wine on the fish before baking in the oven or adding alcohol while frying, and you will notice how the usual dish will sparkle in a new way.
Beer for dough and shank
Beer is another type of alcohol for culinary purposes. In hops, you can marinate and stew meat perfectly, add it to the pancake dough and make batter on its basis - fermentation continues in the drink, which means that baked goods and deep-fried dishes will come out lush and airy. In such beer countries as Germany, the Czech Republic or Belgium, they know about all the advantages of the national drink and actively use it to prepare traditional dishes - they stew cabbage, pork shank, beef, pork in beer and even make desserts.
Fish soup without vodka is just soup!
Unlike French and Mediterranean cuisine, alcohol is practically not used in Russian cuisine. Of course, in the first half of the 19th century, the domestic nobility ate sterlet soup in champagne, but it was prepared by the same overseas chefs who came from France. Perhaps, only fish soup with vodka can be called a primordially Russian dish with a degree, which is added in small quantities at the very end of cooking and makes the broth brighter and more piquant.
Flambing
In the world of culinary, there are dishes that cannot be created at all without the participation of alcohol. They are called the French word flambé and combine treats that are poured over with strong alcohol (cognac, rum, whiskey, alcohol, vodka) and set on fire. When the blue flame is extinguished, a scorched delicacy remains in the pan, fragrant with a wonderful aroma. Anything can be flamed - from steak and chicken to fruits, pancakes and ice cream.
Liqueur Cupcake
If your passion is pies, pies, muffins, cakes and other pastries, try adding alcohol to the dough. Strong sweet liqueurs, dessert wine such as port wine, cognac, whiskey, rum and various berry liqueurs are ideal for this purpose. Herbal infusions and balms will give sweets a specific taste, so it is better to beware of them, and vodka has no aroma at all, so confectioners practically do not use it. The most important thing is not to be generous and do not pour alcohol in glasses, most often it only takes a couple of tablespoons of alcohol to improve the taste of baked goods.
Drunken cream
Alcohol is good not only for baking, but also for cold desserts. There are world masterpieces that are simply unthinkable without a light and delicate aroma of alcohol. For example, a little creamy liqueur, rum, brandy, marsala or cognac must be added to the famous Italian tiramisu. Another sweet masterpiece from Italy, sabayon cream is also made using wine, usually Marsala or sparkling prosecco.