Help! Port substitute

[Chopstix]

I'm making a Port-glazed Grape Tart with Walnut crust tonight. The tart filling calls for:

2 cups Ruby Port
1 1/2 cups Concord grape jelly
3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
5 lb small red and black seedless grapes, stems discarded (12 1/2 cups)

where I simmer the port and jelly to reduce, add lemon juice and grapes to glaze.

My problem: I don't have port,much less Ruby Port. What can I use instead? I only have Marsala, Red wine, rhum, brandy.

Thanks in advance!

 

[kitchenelf]

I would use marsala for sure!

 

[kitchenelf]

UH OHHHHHHHH - this is a baking question - don't take my word for it

 

[jpmcgrew]

Yep! Marsala.

 

[Chopstix]

UH OHHHHHHHH - this is a baking question - don't take my word for it

LOL Elfie!!! I recall something you wrote about baking and you...

Anyway, I will use Marsala then. Thanks Elfie and Jpmcgrew!

 

[RDG]

Marsala. The dry one.

 

[jennyema]

Marsala tastes entirely different but would be better than red wine. Fortified wines each have distinctive tastes.

I just have to respectfully ask : why choose this recipe ? Why not either buy some port or use a different recipe? I am puzzled in cases like this when one specific ingredient is the entire focus of the recipe.

 

[mish]

I would go with red wine. Marsala will give the dish an entirely different taste.

 

[RDG]

Marsala tastes entirely different .

Jennyema,sorry...the old marsala is not so different from Porto.
The problem is that there are a lot of "marsala" wines that are not Marsala. All the sweet types, f.i.
The eldest ones are perfectly dry, like the best Porto.

 

[VeraBlue]

I'd go with the brandy.

 

[jennyema]

Jennyema,sorry...the old marsala is not so different from Porto.
The problem is that there are a lot of "marsala" wines that are not Marsala. All the sweet types, f.i.
The eldest ones are perfectly dry, like the best Porto.

I am a port lover, actually. I still think port and marsala are a far cry off, tastewise.

 

[YT2095]

Dry sherry or Madeira will be good.

also Mirin at a push.

 

[Chopstix]

The Marsala glaze turned out fine. Perhaps because I had to reduce the liquid into a glaze, I couldn't quite taste the alcohol anymore. Especially when it coated the fresh grapes whose juiciness and sweetness cut through the glaze anyway. Thanks everyone for your thoughts!

 

[Chopstix]

Marsala tastes entirely different but would be better than red wine. Fortified wines each have distinctive tastes.

I just have to respectfully ask : why choose this recipe ? Why not either buy some port or use a different recipe? I am puzzled in cases like this when one specific ingredient is the entire focus of the recipe.

Hi Jennyema, I totally understand your point as I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to traditional dishes. In this case, the tart looked so colorful and pretty in the recipe page that I wanted to make it simply based on it's appearance (such colorful shiny grapes and beautiful nutty crust!). In my mind, the Port was incidental and could most probably be subbed with some other fortified wine I already had. Besides, I'd never buy a bottle of Port just to try out this one recipe.

(As it turned out, I found the tart too rich for my taste. I don't think I'll be making this one again.)

 

[auntdot]

I too am with the red wine. But you might wish to add a bit of the brandy to it. Think that might work.