I keep a bottle of dry vermouth on hand, too, to sub for white wine. But I’ve also been keeping 4-packs of wine to use in recipes that need a little wine, on the recommendation of one of DC’s members. Five bucks for four perfectly sized (for cooking) bottles with tops!. It’s not great wine, but it is drinkable, and there are two or three varieties of both white and red.You covered all of the ones I have one hand, except the Scotch, for when I want to make that true butterscotch. And I use a Julia Child trick for white wine when I need it - I keep a bottle of dry white vermouth on hand. For things that I don't use often, I use those Vacuvin plugs, to help them keep longer - it works pretty well. Tequila is really the only one I don't have to do this with! lol
Yes, but they’re fortified wines, and their alcohol content (if I’m not mistaken) is much higher than most wines.Brandy is a big go-to for me. Cheaper than cognac for cooking.
Other than that, you hit my cooking spirts. I do usually have a small bottle of kirsch for making cheese fondue
Sherry, port and marsala are all wines, too.
Yes, but they’re fortified wines, and their alcohol content (if I’m not mistaken) is much higher than most wines.
Yes, but they’re fortified wines, and their alcohol content (if I’m not mistaken) is much higher than most wines.
Thunderbird is a fortified wine, too. I can't recommend it
CD
Thunderbird (The American Classic), between 13% and 18% ABV. Popular since the 1950s, when a popular rhythm and blues song went: "What's the word? Thunderbird / How's it sold? Good and cold / What's the jive? 'Bird's alive / What's the price? Thirty twice."[6] It was once marketed in the United Kingdom as "The California Aperitif".
That sounds awesome. I like pears and I like chicken, add in a little vodka and whoohee.I just saw a recipe calling for pear vodka. New to me but sounds good.
I haven't tried it yet but here's the recipe:
Chicken with pears, pear vodka, lemon, cream
2 lg pears, peeled, cored, sliced
2 Tbsp oil
Salt & Pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (1.25 lbs total)
1/8 c flour
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
2 t snipped fresh thyme
1 sm shallot (about 2 Tbsp)
1/2 c pear vodka
1/2 c low sodium chicken (bone) broth
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp heavy cream
idea: 1 Tbsp toasted unsalted pecans pieces as garnish
Preheat oven to 425F.
In a shallow roasting pan, toss pears with pepper and 1 Tbsp of oil. Roast until lightly browned in spots, around 20 - 25 min. Remove from oven and set aside. (Opt: toss in pecan pieces last 4 min of cooking.)
Halve each chicken breast horizontally to make thin pieces. Mix together flour and a little salt & pepper. Place on plate and dredge chicken in it, patting off excess.
In a lg skillet, melt 1 Tbsp of butter with remaining oil over med-high heat. Add chicken in batches so they stay in single layer and cook, turning once, 6 - 8 min total or until just no longer pink inside. Reduce heat if chicken browns too quickly. Transfer chicken to warm platter and cover with towel or foil.
Melt remaining butter in roasting pan. Add shallot and saute until translucent, stirring up any bits on bottom. Remove skillet from heat and add vodka - taking care it does not splatter. Return to med heat and cook until liquid is reduced by half - a minute or two.
Add chicken broth, lemon juice. Bring to a boil while stirring. 2 - 3 min. Add cream and simmer until sauce is thickened.
Arrange chicken and pears on warm plates. Ladle sauce over top.
Serves 6
Serve chilled pear vodka mini-martini as an apertiff
The stories I could tell about many, many bottles of Strawberry Hill....MD 20 20 and Ripple. Not sure if they're fortified, but I wouldn't recommend these either. Now I know some folks back in the 70's that loved to fortify Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill in a water pipe.
The stories I could tell about many, many bottles of Strawberry Hill....
I keep a bottle of dry vermouth on hand, too, to sub for white wine. But I’ve also been keeping 4-packs of wine to use in recipes that need a little wine, on the recommendation of one of DC’s members. Five bucks for four perfectly sized (for cooking) bottles with tops!. It’s not great wine, but it is drinkable, and there are two or three varieties of both white and red.
All that said, I still prefer vermouth to white wine in my recipes.