Sassy Spirits! Cooking with spirits adds heavenly flavor to your dishes, one splash at a time!
The first and most important rule when cooking with spirits is to pour yourself a glass first. Only cook with spirits that you would drink and most often you don’t need much, so that leaves you with plenty for a refreshment. If you can’t or choose not to enjoy spirits, you can still add a great extra flavor to your dishes by substituting a broth or a citrus juice depending on your dish, I will talk about some of those flavoring options in another article.
Beer-will bring your chili to a whole new level. Add a bottle to your next pot and you will see what I mean.
Wine-use red wine for your red meat dishes like beef stew and steak. When you take the time to reduce your wine, meaning cook it down for a little while so you have half of what you started with, red wine takes on a whole new dimension enhancing the flavor-deep, dark and delicious! Use white wine for your fish, chicken and pork dishes. I love to caramelize a finely chopped onion, add a few capers and deglaze the pan with a little white wine for a simple sauce.
Sherry-add it to your Swedish Meatballs for an awesome tang!
Brandy-a little goes along way. I buy the small purse size version and add a few splashes, okay maybe more than a few to my olive tapenade.
Vodka-traditionally don’t have any flavor here so will take on the flavor of what you put it in, like jello shots 😉
Rum-grab your favorite toasted coconut rum and give this Rum Pineapple sauce a try. If your lucky enough to live in one of the states that sells Siesta Key Rum-use that by far the best out there. If you don’t live where they sell it, make a friend that does. Cook 1/4 cup finely diced pineapple in a little oil until brown, mix in 1/4 cup of rum and 1/4 cup of pineapple juice. Cook for a half hour and season with salt and cracked pepper blend. You can always thicken it a bit with a cornstarch slurry or even puree it if you want a smooth sauce. Serve over grilled pork tenderloin and with a good rum drink.
Cheers!
-Angie