Written on 18/08/2020
When the wine comes out of the glass!
An old house surrounded by vines. In the middle of the ivy-covered south wall, an open window gives off the smell of meat cooking in the oven. The cook keeps an eye on the stove, sitting with one buttock on the solid wood table. Without taking his eyes off his dish, he finds his glass in his hand. It's "the cook's glass", a secret privilege that Men hide from the gods, who wouldn't know how to turn a knob on a gas stove...
From the cook's glass to the boeuf bourguignon, wine didn't have long to go. While drinking wine is a matter of course, not everyone eats it... Here's something to whet your appetite!
WINE-BASED DISHES
The aforementioned boeuf bourguignon, a national treasure, is obviously not the only wine-based dish in French gastronomy. We could also mention civet de lièvre, moules au vin blanc, coq au vin... But how do you make them?
A few rules to avoid false notes:
- Wine-based dishes should be simmered on a low heat for a long time. Long enough for the alcohol to evaporate, but not so long as to lose the aromas.
- Choose a quality wine, not too light. It needs to be robust to give flavor to the dish.
- Serve the same wine in the glasses and on the plate (all the more reason to use good wine in the dish!).
- Avoid two wine dishes in the same meal...
WINE SAUCES
Sauce chasseur, Madeira, Périgueux, meurette... French cuisine owes as much to the products as to the sauces that accompany them!
Here again, there are a few simple rules to minimize risk:
- A good sauce is velvety and creamy, not liquid. If it is, let it reduce a little more...
- How do you reduce it? Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to minimum and stir occasionally.
- Here again, use quality wine. An acidic wine will produce an acidic sauce...
BONUS : CHABROT
In the south of France, one tradition doesn't bother with sauce reductions or gentle boiling of the dish... Faire chabrot means pouring your glass of wine into the soup stock you've got left, and drinking it all in with gusto! It's even said that in the Dordogne, a Chabrol brotherhood is fighting to keep the tradition alive. Give them a try!
