Spirits for cooking

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JustJoel

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Besides wine and beer, what spirits and liquors do you like to keep on hand for cooking?

I like to have rum, bourbon, tequila, cognac, sherry, ruby port, Marsala, sake (I know, it’s wine).
 
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
 
The only thing I can think of is banana liquor and rum that I use to make Bananas Foster -- the original Brennan's way. It's been a long time, so I think I need to make some, soon.

CD
 
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
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.
 
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.
 
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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.
 
Oh, and how did I forget Grand Marnier! That is the one use in a lot of desserts, but also treat myself to, if it's in the kitchen. :yum:
 
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
 
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Vodka besides those already mentioned. Can't make vodka sauce without it.
 
Yes, but they’re fortified wines, and their alcohol content (if I’m not mistaken) is much higher than most wines.

Yes fortified wines generally have a higher alcohol content, but it depends on the type.

Sherry is not that much more than a strong wine. Vermouth, though, has about twice the alcohol content of white wine.
 
Thunderbird is a fortified wine, too. I can't recommend it:ermm:

CD

:LOL: :ROFLMAO:

According to Wikipedia:

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".

:ermm: :LOL:
 
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.:angel:
 
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
That sounds awesome. I like pears and I like chicken, add in a little vodka and whoohee.
 
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.:angel:
The stories I could tell about many, many bottles of Strawberry Hill....
 
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm (in my best Roseanne Roseannadanna voice) ... never mind.

roseanne roseannadanna.jpg
 
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.

Funny story with vermouth and me. I red a recipe using vermouth and I liked it. Decide I must make. Now the problem I have to find Kosher vermouth. Easier said than done here in Minnesota. Finally month latter i was in Chicago and found kosher vermouth. I came back home all exited, ready to make whatever recipe it was. Guess what. I could not find recipe. have no idea what it was, not a clue. Still don't. So there it is a bottle of vermouth seating in my pantry now. Waiting when I rediscover that recipe. :)
 
Pirate is not a big drinker. He might have one or two beers a year. So his DIL turned him onto a bottle of wine that is not strong at all. And it is not very expensive.

So one day, Pirate asked me if I would object to him buying a small bottle for himself. He wanted to try it out. He does like a nice wine with his evening meals. "Sure, get it." So he did. Pirate has never drank for the sole purpose of getting drunk. Not even if he is out "with the boys." There was still about a half cup left over and the next day without my knowledge, he made a pasta sauce using up the rest of the wine.

One of the very best sauces I have ever tasted. I think it is time to turn my thinking regarding alcoholic beverages around. So when I am able to get back into my kitchen and can stand up without holding on, I will be sending him to the liquor store for another small bottle of that wine.

I know when I go out to an ethnic restaurant to eat, the chef most likely will put some sort of spirits in the dish. And that is fine with me. Just don't tell me about it. I don't need a list of the ingredients to enjoy the food.
 
Well, Pirate went out with the boys last night and came home with a light buzz. Before he left he had bought a bottle of that wine that was recommended by his DIL. He had a small glass before he went out and when he returned from his bar hopping I was informed that he would be using what was left over from his bottle, would be going into a meat and spirits pasta sauce. Fine by me.

I think his drinking days are over. Little by little my attitude toward alcoholic beverages is changing for using it in cooking.
 
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