Using wine in cooking

JAN BILTON

Wine and food: Use riesling and coconut milk for these tasty Thai-style mussels

The current glut of wine means we can savour cut-price top drops more often with dinner and also enhance our cooking. Adding a dash of wine can transform a good dish into a superior culinary experience.

Cooks throughout history have discovered that wine adds a little magic when added to a recipe. Wine improves marinades, dressings, sauces, casseroles, desserts and bakes.

The complex combination of flavours of wine provide body and depth to dishes as well tenderising and adding moisture. Its acidity softens the tissues of tougher cuts of meat, its sweetness marries well with herbs and spices.

Traditional matches of wine and food can often be disregarded in cooking. For example red wine is not normally an accompaniment for fish or egg dishes. However, several traditional French dishes use eggs and fish and red wine to perfection. For example, poaching salmon in pinot noir helps counteract the richness of the fish.

A few years ago I attended a small French cooking school in Paris called Le Pot au Feu. The first dish prepared was eggs poached in red wine. A bottle of burgundy was simmered in a saucepan together with a bay leaf and some mixed herbs. It was reduced to half its volume. Eggs were poached in this reduction and lifted to one side. Then 200 grams of butter were gradually whisked into the reduction until it thickened. The eggs were served with toast and the rich sauce on top. Divine!

TASTY THAI-STYLE MUSSELS

36 medium green-lipped mussels

Sauce: 2 Tbsp each: olive oil, grated root ginger

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 kaffir lime leaves

grated rind 1 lemon

3/4 cup each: riesling, light coconut cream

2 cups fish stock

2 tsp each: curry powder, Thai chilli paste, fish sauce, lemon juice

Garnish: 1/2 cup each: coriander leaves, finely sliced spring onions

Scrub the mussels and remove the beards.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or stock pot on medium-low.

Saute the ginger, onion, garlic, kaffir lime leaves and lemon rind, until softened. Add the wine and coconut cream and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated.

Add the stock, curry powder, chilli paste and fish sauce and lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes. Place the mussels in a steamer basket. Cover and steam over the liquid until the mussels open, about 5-7 minutes.

Remove to a bowl as they open. Discard any that don't open. Divide equally between four soup bowls and top with the liquid.

Garnish with the greens.

Great served with extra lemon juice and crusty bread to mop up the juices. Serves 4 as a light meal.

RISOTTO WITH SAGE

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 each: onion, carrot, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup sauvignon blanc

1 1/2 cups arborio risotto rice

5 1/2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage

Heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and saute for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until soft and fragrant.

Stir in the rice and heat until the grains are shiny, about 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates. Add a 1/2 cup of chicken stock and bring to the boil, stirring constantly.

Cook the rice briskly, stirring constantly, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Repeat using a 1/2 cup of stock each time, cooking until the rice is soft. Add the parmesan, pepper and sage. Serve in wide bowls topped with extra sage leaves, if preferred. Serves 4.

VINTNER'S APPLES

2 cups riesling

1/2 cup sugar

pinch saffron

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

4-6 apples

Pour the wine and sugar into a saucepan large enough to hold the apples. Bring to the boil and add the saffron, cinnamon and star anise.

Peel the apples and core as for baked apples. Stand the apples in the wine mixture and simmer for about 10 minutes. Turn the apples over and simmer until just cooked.

With a slotted spoon transfer the apples to a shallow serving dish.

Boil the syrup until very thick, about 15 minutes. Spoon the syrup over the apples.

Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream. Serves 4-6.

WINE FESTIVAL DATE & WALNUT PUDDING

Sauce: 1 cup each: brown sugar, pinot gris, hot water

25g butter

Pudding: 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

75g chilled butter, chopped

1 cup pitted dates, chopped

1/2 cup each: chopped walnuts, milk

Preheat the oven to 180C. Lightly grease a 23cm baking dish. Combine the ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes.

Place the sugar, flour and baking powder in a food processor. Blend for a few seconds.

Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Tip into a bowl. Add the dates and nuts. Pour in the milk and mix well. Spoon into the prepared dish.

Pour the hot wine mixture over the top.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden. There will be a caramel sauce under the pudding. Great served warm with whipped cream. Serves about 8.