Cooking with wine is almost as old as wine itself. Researchers have discovered that as early as the third millennium BC, people recognized the uniqueness, aroma, flavors and richness that wine adds to dishes.
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In traditional wine-producing countries such as France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and even Greece, cooking with wine is an integral part of the culinary repertoire because there is nothing more natural than incorporating yesterday's leftover wine into today's dish and infusing new life even in the simplest ingredients.
Understanding wine requires time and experimentation, but even a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step, and it's never too late. The primary principle that should guide you is also the simplest one - tasty or not tasty.
Don't worry if you can't immediately identify the fruity aroma or the taste of vanilla - with time and experience, your senses and tastes will sharpen, and you will gradually discover that even your preferences change. Here are some great recipes and tips for cooking with wine.
Roast beef in white wine and mushroom sauce by Rafi Aharonovich
Ingredients (8-10 servings):
For the beef:
2 kg beef shoulder or any other cut suitable for roasting
For seasoning the beef:
1/3 cup olive oil for frying
2 onions, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 celery root, diced
1 large parsley root, diced
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 cup dry white wine
A little water
For the sauce:
4 large onions, diced
4 cloves of minced garlic
2 baskets of fresh button mushrooms, sliced
2 baskets of fresh portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup olive oil for frying
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon sugar
A pinch of grated nutmeg
A pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Black pepper
Instructions:
- Season the beef with all the dry spices and heat the oil in a large flat-bottomed pot. Brown the beef lightly on both sides, then remove it from the pot and place it on a covered plate.
- Sauté the onions lightly and add the remaining vegetables. Season with a little salt and add the wine. Add the beef back to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a minimum. Cover the pot with parchment paper and a lid (the liquid should reach about 1/3 of the beef's height; if it's insufficient, you can add a little boiling water).
- Cook the stew over low heat for two hours. Remove the beef (you will only use the beef and not the vegetables it was cooked with) and let it cool.
- Prepare the sauce: Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan and sauté the onions. Add the mushrooms and spices, and fry all the ingredients for a few minutes. Add the wine and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Slice the roast beef into 1-centimeter-thick slices and place them in a baking dish. Pour the mushroom and wine sauce over the beef and cover it well. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) and bake for one hour.
- Enjoy your roast beef in white wine and mushroom sauce!
Soft-boiled egg in red wine sauce by Shaul Evron
Even an egg can become a delicacy with the right upgrade. For the preparation of this soft-boiled egg in red wine sauce, it is recommended to use a Burgundy wine, such as Pinot Noir from Burgundy, France. In other words, Burgundy or not, it is worth investing in a tasty and quality wine as its flavor greatly influences this dish. It is important to remember that during the cooking process, the eggs are cooked in a separate pot and not in the sauce.
Ingredients (4 servings):
1 bottle of red wine (recommended: Burgundy Pinot Noir)
100 grams of beef broth
1 egg per person
1 small carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
6 button mushrooms
100 grams of high-quality bacon (can be substituted with duck breast)
Instructions:
- Cut all the vegetables and bacon into small cubes.
- In a deep frying pan or pot, begin by sautéing the carrot, allowing it to soften slowly. After 5 minutes, add the rest of the vegetables and the bacon, and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Add the entire bottle of wine to the pan and bring it to a boil. Add a pinch of coarse salt and ground black pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half.
- Add the beef broth and bring it to a boil again.
- In a separate pot, boil the eggs for about 3.5 minutes, then remove them and place them on absorbent paper or a towel.
- Serving: Peel the eggs, pour the sauce into deep plates, and place one egg in the center of each plate.
Chicken liver in chianti by Hanoch Bar Shalom
Ingredients:
1 kg fresh and cleaned chicken livers
2 small onions, sliced
50 grams butter-flavored margarine
1/2 cup flour
For the sauce:
1 bottle of Chianti wine
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
Salt
Black pepper
Instructions:
- In a wide and flat pot, simmer and reduce the Chianti wine to about one-third of its original volume.
- Add the honey and mustard to the reduced wine and continue to reduce until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and pepper.
- Fry the onion slices until golden brown. Add the chicken livers and continue frying until the livers are pink on the inside.
- Pour the sauce into the pan with the liver, heat it up, and serve.
Chicken breast with apples and white wine
The white wine enhances the flavor of the chicken breast, the sweetness of the apples complements it, and the acidity contributes to the richness of the dish. The combination of apples makes it particularly suitable for festive occasions.
Ingredients (for 6 servings):
3 whole chicken breasts (or 6 chicken cutlets)
3 tablespoons flour
Salt, pepper
4 tablespoons light olive oil
4 green apples, peeled and sliced or cut into eighths
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup dry white wine (such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc)
Instructions:
- If using whole chicken breasts, divide each half into 3 cutlets, place them between two sheets of plastic wrap, and flatten them as much as possible.
- Mix the flour with a pinch of salt and pepper, and coat the cutlets in the flour mixture, ensuring they are well coated from all sides. Shake off any excess flour.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. Fry the cutlets over high heat for about 1-2 minutes on each side until golden. Remove them from the pan. You can prepare this step in advance and keep the fried cutlets covered in the refrigerator.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan used for frying the cutlets. Fry the apple slices for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle them with sugar, reduce the heat, and continue frying until the apples are well golden, about 5 minutes.
- Add the wine to the pan and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Return the cutlets to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes. Flip the cutlets to ensure they are well coated with the sauce, and cook just until warmed through. Serve the cutlets with the apple slices.
Chicken thighs in red wine and shallots
Ingredients:
1 kg boneless chicken thighs
50g butter-flavored margarine
2 tablespoons olive oil
50g diced smoked beef
500g peeled shallots
Flour
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 cups dry red wine
1/2 cup sweet red wine
1/2 cup flour (for coating the chicken)
Salt
Black pepper
Instructions:
- Coat the chicken thighs with flour. Heat the margarine and olive oil in a wide and heavy pot. Brown the chicken thighs on all sides and remove them from the pot.
- Sauté the shallots until golden brown. Add the diced smoked beef and continue frying for about a minute.
- Add a tablespoon of flour and mix well. Pour in the red wines and continue cooking for about 20 minutes.
- Add the chicken thighs back to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and simmer on low heat for about an hour.
- Add the thyme sprigs and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
Duck in chocolate wine sauce
The traditional Spanish recipe uses white wine and chocolate to create a deep brown sauce that gives the duck a unique flavor.
Ingredients (6 servings):
6 duck breasts
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons toasted and chopped almonds
1 large ripe tomato, peeled and diced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 cups dry or semi-dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt, pepper
50g dark chocolate
Instructions:
- Rinse the duck breasts and pat them dry with paper towels. Heat the oil in a wide, lidded frying pan that can hold all the duck breasts in a single layer. Brown the duck breasts on both sides and remove them from the pan.
- Add the onion to the pan and sauté until golden. Add the garlic and almonds and continue to fry, stirring, until the almonds are golden. Add the tomato and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes.
- Add the wine, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the pan and bring to a boil. Return the duck breasts to the pan, cover, and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Simmer for about an hour, turning the duck breasts occasionally.
- Remove the cooked duck breasts from the pan. Increase the heat, break the chocolate into cubes, add it to the sauce, and stir until melted.
- Return the duck breasts to the pan and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Flip them over and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve the duck breasts with the sauce poured over them.
Beef bourguignon - red wine braised beef stew
Don't let the fancy name confuse you. The story here is quite simple: high-quality beef cuts are slowly cooked in red wine with root vegetables. The result? Perfect. Give us this dish every day, and we'll never say "enough."
Ingredients (4-6 servings):
1.5 kg beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat and sinew, cut into 5x5 cm cubes
200g bacon, cut into cubes
4 carrots
8 small onions
2 celery roots
4 parsley roots
2 leeks
5 garlic cloves
1 liter beef stock
3 marrow bones
2-3 bottles of red wine (enough to cover the meat)
Bouquet garni: parsley stems, thyme, rosemary, and savory tied together with kitchen twine
1 cup brandy
8 small peeled potatoes
A little olive oil
1 small sachet with nutmeg, cloves, whole black pepper, and bay leaves
Instructions:
- Heat olive oil in a heavy cast-iron pot and sear the beef, adding salt and pepper.
- Pour the brandy over the beef and scrape off any accumulated drippings with a wooden spoon.
- Add the marrow bones, red wine, and bring to a gentle boil. Remove any fat foam that forms, then add the beef stock, bouquet garni, and the sachet of spices. Simmer over low heat for an hour.
- In a separate frying pan, fry the bacon until golden and fat is rendered. Add the diced vegetables and cook until they are golden. Transfer them to the pot with the beef. Cook for an additional hour or until the meat is tender - a total cooking time of about 3 hours.
- Remove from heat and serve.
Fish fillet in red wine sauce by Antonio Mansa
Ingredients (4 servings):
4 fish fillets (e.g., cod, sea bass, gilt-head bream) weighing 150g each
2 tablespoons olive oil
30g butter
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
30g sliced almonds
1 tablespoon mixed fresh herbs (thyme, coriander, rosemary), chopped
2 cups red wine (Corbieres or similar)
1 cup fish stock (or water, if unavailable)
Salt, pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
Juice of 1 lemon
Optional additions:
1 large fresh artichoke, sliced into 8 pieces
4 asparagus spears
8 quartered button mushrooms
Instructions:
- Rinse the fish fillets and pat them dry. Heat a skillet over high heat, lightly coat with olive oil, and sear the fish for about 2 minutes on each side, or until it starts to flake easily with a fork. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining olive oil and half of the butter. Add the garlic, almonds, and mixed herbs, and sauté until the almonds and garlic turn golden. Add the wine and cook over high heat until the volume reduces by half.
- Add the fish stock to the skillet and continue cooking over high heat until the volume reduces by half again. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, curry powder, and lemon juice. Whisk in the remaining butter.
- Return the fish fillets to the sauce and heat through.
- Serve the fish fillets in the red wine sauce.
Wine-poached pears
Ingredients:
8 large and ripe pears
2 cups dry red wine
1 cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
2 anise stars
1/2 orange, thinly sliced
Instructions:
- Clean and peel the pears, leaving the stems intact.
- Place the pears in a pot, tightly packed side by side.
- In a separate bowl, mix the wine, water, and brown sugar.
- Pour the mixture into the pot with the pears, and add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and orange slices.
- Ignite the flame and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes until the pears become tender.
- Remove the pears and continue to simmer the sauce for an additional 10 minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the pears and serve hot or cold.