I use it a lot, for flavour and it really does make a difference. A splash of red wine in a tomato sauce, for example, will give a depth of flavour you can't achieve any other way. I keep a bottle of red wine (screw top) for cooking and it will keep for at least a month if not longer. Then there is beer in a meat stew, sherry or brandy added to mushroom dishes, shellfish with whisky (wonderful!). And there are many more examples.
But....
...until about half an hour ago, I believed that cooking (as long as it was on a high heat) burnt off the alcohol content. Certainly, if you add red wine to a tomato sauce at the end of the cooking it will taste horrible and 'raw'. Obviously, I knew that uncooked dishes containing alcohol (sherry trifle, for example) would retain alcoholic content.
Anyway, I did a bit of research and came across the following:
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index...doesnt-really-cook-out-of-food-in-most-cases/
But then this: which seems more considered:
Does the alcohol burn off?
Alcohol not only evaporates without heat, but the majority also burns off during the cooking process. How much remains in the dish depends on the cooking method and amount of cooking time. Those alcohol-soaked fruitcakes would have to turn into solid bricks before the alcohol evaporates. A bottle of beer in a long-simmered stew is not going to leave a significantly measurable alcohol residue, but will add a rich, robust flavor. A quick flambé may not burn off all the alcohol, whereas a wine reduction sauce will leave little if any alcohol content. Heat and time are the keys. Obviously, uncooked foods with alcohol will retain the most alcohol.
But....
...until about half an hour ago, I believed that cooking (as long as it was on a high heat) burnt off the alcohol content. Certainly, if you add red wine to a tomato sauce at the end of the cooking it will taste horrible and 'raw'. Obviously, I knew that uncooked dishes containing alcohol (sherry trifle, for example) would retain alcoholic content.
Anyway, I did a bit of research and came across the following:
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index...doesnt-really-cook-out-of-food-in-most-cases/
But then this: which seems more considered:
Does the alcohol burn off?
Alcohol not only evaporates without heat, but the majority also burns off during the cooking process. How much remains in the dish depends on the cooking method and amount of cooking time. Those alcohol-soaked fruitcakes would have to turn into solid bricks before the alcohol evaporates. A bottle of beer in a long-simmered stew is not going to leave a significantly measurable alcohol residue, but will add a rich, robust flavor. A quick flambé may not burn off all the alcohol, whereas a wine reduction sauce will leave little if any alcohol content. Heat and time are the keys. Obviously, uncooked foods with alcohol will retain the most alcohol.