Cooking with wine ?

[Martin Page]

We have some friends over howvever they can not have any alcohol for medical reasons ...

Is it possible to lose all the alcohol when you cook say, Fish in a wine sauce ?
i.e. will all the alcohol evaporate just leaving the taste of the wine


No guessing please ... this is medically important !

[katy]

I won't guess then but if it's so important why not try a medical forum Unless we have a Doctor on the forum.

[anyroads]

surely it would be a lot easier to forego the wine completely......sorted !

anyroads

[El Cid]

Yes, the alcohol will evaporate so long as you boil the sauce for a few minutes.

Sid

[Martin Page]

Thanks Cid ... ever useful as allways ....

I though that was the case !

[crazyred]

Yep, what Sid said. My mother, my son & I can't have red wine due to a hereditary condition but, we can have red wine sauce. I always make sure it's reduced really well, which also makes it tastier. You might want to do the wine in a separate pan then add to the fish otherwise your fish may overcook.

Enjoy!!

[El Cid]

I should add that boiling gets rid of almost all of the alcohol but chemically there may be trace amounts left. Whether it is OK for a particular individual would depend on the medical condition.

Sid

[Trooperman]

I did once see a TV chef "flame" it off whilst reducing it and saying this was the way to get rid of most of the alcohol. Can't recall just who 'tho.

[Chunky Monky]

'America's Test Kitchen' (PBS) tested this particular issue scientifically and found a suprising amount of alchohol could be left in the dish depending on how long it was cooked and the type of vessel used.

Some info here:
http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questi ... ay-alcohol

[janda_grant2]

Could you not use grape juice? I think it's called mosta - should have the flavour but not the alcohol

[Devils Advocate]

Mark, I'd just leave the wine out altogether mate. If it's that important why take a risk ............let's face it if your friend feels rough the next day the wine will get the blame whether the alcohol was burnt off or not.

You wouldn't put nuts in something for someone with a nut allergy after all. Anyway, be like me and don't invite people with special needs...........it's a total PITA, had a veggie around once by mistake..........total nightmare

[Campo Steve]

Can I suggest you check with your friends what they think? They may not be prepared to take the risk of a small amount left in the sauce.

[IreneD]

I did an intensive Google on this last year when I had a gum infection and was prescribed the antibiotic metronidazole with dire warnings from the doctor and pharmacist not to have any alcohol while on the meds. Much to my dismay even cooking with alcohol was suspect as trace amounts of alcohol can remain. Best not to risk it, I reckon.

[chrissiehope]

I can vouch for the fact that metronidazole will react with the smallest amount of alcohol

I was away for a Christmas weekend whilst taking it, and studiously avoided alcohol. What I didn't allow for was the brandy in the cream on the Xmas pud........I was sick as a dog all night and all the way home the next day

Apparently not everyone gets this reaction, but believe me, you don't want to risk it

[IreneD]

Ooh, poor you, Chrissie! I went a bit pale at the thought of no alcohol for a week, but a Google verifying the warnings I'd had did scare me enough to stay booze free!

[anyroads]

surely it would be a lot easier to forego the wine completely......sorted !

As I said.........

anyroads

[katy]

Yes that's the bleeding obvious but we are in forumland and etiquiette is that we have to give all the medical/cookery experts whatever the chance to have their say

[Martin Page]

A white wine sauce with no wine in it ... then its just a sauce !

I know what you mean about a little being left in, but so long as its only a fraction .. like that in a mouth wash such as Listerine .. then it shouldnt be too much of a problem

Thanks all

[Gasman]

Beware - as I understand it Mosta is "wine" in that it is alcoholic being a very young white wine, usually drunk before fermentation is complete, but still has alcohol in it.
I would go with the "surely it would be a lot easier to forego the wine completely......sorted !" - flavour the white sauce with herbs instead and don't call it a "white wine sauce" - Try wild fennel? or Dill if you have it ...
Cheers

[janda_grant2]

Mosta :


The resulting drink is rich and satisfying, with an exceptionally smooth finish.Like many good balsamic vinegars, the juice is made in Modena, Italy, and cooked to concentrate the flavor. Unlike balsamic vinegar, it is not fermented. On its own, the juice is excellent rich and grapy, not too sweet. But it is also a fine addition to dessert sauces and compotes, and an admirable nonalcoholic substitute for wine in dishes of cooked meats."