Dessert wines in savory dishes

[t street]

I'm in need of some inspiration...

Any ideas for using dessert wines in savory dishes or sauces? particularly the late-harvest-vidal-type wines?

 

[suzanne]

Paula Wolfert, in the second edition of The Cooking of Southwest France, has a chicken thigh sauté using Pineau de Charentes. I guess you could substitute a dessert wine for the Pineau. It's quite a luscious dish. :lips:

Other than that, we'll have to keep looking. I once used a $30 half-bottle of a lovely dessert wine in charoses (a Passover relish-type dish of chopped apples and nuts), which almost caused my b-i-l, who gave us the bottle, to have a heart attack ("You did WHAT with it????" ), but it sure beat using Manischewitz.

 

[french fries]

Hmmmm pineau des charentes! I put a good amount of Port wine in my turkey stuffing (along with veal, pork, chestnuts, garlic, shallots and parsley).

 

[boar_d_laze]

There are a bunch of sauces which call for port. There are also a lot of dishes which use "off dry" wines, like dry Madeira, dry Marsala, medium sherries, etc., but that's kind of non-responsive to your question isn't it?

I've used sweet wines of the sort you're talking about to make sweet relishes to accompany savory dishes; but the relishes, like Suzanne's charoset, are themselves sweet.

I can see using a wine with a very rasin like presence to make things sweet/savory dishes where you might ordinarly use raisins -- like picadills for intstance -- but can't recall ever doing it.

Let us know what you try,
BDL

 

[kyheirloomer]

Perhaps, in some instances, as a sub for balsomic???

Loved your charoses story, Suzanne. Someday I'll tell you about how far zaida could stretchk a single walnut when making his.

 

[petalsandcoco]

So many great ideas posted here....


There is a dish I make which is called “Champignons Laperouse”. . It originally calls for port but you can easily substitute your wine.
The recipe calls for mushrooms and for added flavor some truffle . If you do not have truffle or truffle oil then just omit it. It is a wonderful dish using hollandaise sauce. (button mushrooms or you can use what you like)


If you are looking to use it with red meat you can try a sauce with just a few ingredients like: a couple of scallions , some stock, 1 tsp of dijon mustard, a few tsp of flour, salt & pepper, some wine...


For mussels ( if you like mussels) , a tomato sauce which is spicy , a hint of garlic and sweet.
Olive oil, onions, garlic, tomato sauce , chili pepper (to taste) salt & pepper and your wine. This sauce can also be used with pasta dishes.


Then there is a sauce using rosemary and the flavor gets cut with your wine, great for lamb.


Just some ideas.....