Cooking With Booze 101

If you’re a student in online culinary school, you may come across a recipe that calls for something you may have to head to the liquor store to purchase. Don’t be alarmed – cooks and chefs have been using spirits to cook their favorite dishes for decades.

Ever heard of Chicken Marsala? It’s namesake is dedicated to the wine that makes it’s delectable sauce. Cherries Jubilee? Yep, it needs liquor to retain that special and unique flavor. So how do you make all these dishes without “having a few too many?” Dr. Gourmet broke down the basics for cooking with alcohol.

First off, not all of the alcohol is completely evaporated from cooking – but  the majority of it is. When alcohol is added to simmering sauces and soups, the longer you leave it one the burner, the more liquor is dissipated.

For example, if you throw in a splash of cognac or sherry to a delectable sauce in one for one of your culinary arts programs, about 40 percent of the alcohol is retained. However, when an Irish stew with Guinness is set in a pot simmering for two and a half hours, only 5 percent of the alcohol is retained.