Using Up Wine

Boeuf Bourguignon 

Back in the Dark Ages when I was teaching myself to cook, I stumbled on a recipe that called for a cup of wine.  Innocent that I was, I went to my local Bohack, a now defunct New York grocery chain, and consulted with one of the checkout clerks.  She told me what aisle had cooking wine. 

I bought a bottle and used a cup of it. It didn’t taste very good, but I kept it in the refrigerator for a few years until I moved to London, where grocery stores sold real wine.

I never became a drinker, but we held enough dinner parties that I built up a collection of almost-empty wine bottles.  Not one to throw anything away, I found a few recipes that called for wine and made them.

My favorite dishes back then came from Julia Child--Homemade French Onion Soup, Coq au Vin (Chicken Casserole in Red Wine) and Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Stewed in Red Wine). 

In “The French Chef Cookbook” Child gave some excellent advice: “The only reason to use wine in cooking is because of its natural flavor….If the wine is thin or sour or sweet or sickly, these unpleasant qualities will only be exaggerated as its flavor concentrates during the cooking process.  Therefore any wine you use for cooking should be a good one.”

I was reminded of my wine experiments recently when my friend Ilene, also a non-drinker, told me how she handled a bottle of white wine a dinner guest brought.  

“The first thing I did was use some of the wine in a fish dish featuring tilapia fillets and penne pasta,” she says. “Then I used wine in a butter and shallot sauce that I put over baked chicken.

“My third wine use was in a marinade for boneless, skinless chicken thighs.  This recipe I made up myself.  I mixed together some barbecue sauce, teriyaki glaze, the white wine, orange juice and minced garlic cloves. I marinated the chicken for about 4 hours and then baked it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 -25 minutes. It was very delicious. The wine and the orange juice made the chicken extra tender.”

Ilene’s wine bottle is not yet empty, so I suggested she try a few of my recipes to finish it off. 

Risotto Parmigiano 

Tandoori Chicken Salad 

Stir-Fried Lamb 

Cheese Fondue  

I also proposed that she buy some red wine to make Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon.

Boeuf Bourguignon – serves 6-8 (adapted from “The French Chef Cookbook”) 

6 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch by 1/4-inch sticks
1 teaspoon olive oil + more if needed
3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-3-inch chunks and dried on paper towels
3 cups red wine
2 cups beef bouillon + more if needed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
-------------
3 tablespoons softened butter
3 tablespoons flour 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. 

Begin heating a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the oil, and when it is hot add the bacon. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until the bacon pieces have begun to brown and release their fat.  Remove the bacon and set aside until needed. 

Add some of the stewing beef to the frying pan and cook, turning frequently, until it is brown on all sides. Transfer the browned beef to a large casserole and add more beef to the frying pan. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil if the pan seems too dry. Continue the browning process until all the beef is browned and transferred to the casserole dish. 

Pour browning fat out of the frying pan and discard.  Pour the red wine into the frying pan and scrape up all the remaining browned bits.  Then pour the wine into the casserole. Add the bacon and enough beef bouillon to almost cover the meat. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, thyme and salt and bring the mixture to a simmer on top of the stove. 

Cover the casserole and set in the lower third of the oven.  Bake for 2 1/2 – 3 hours, or until the beef is tender when pierced with a fork.  Or simmer the stew on the top of the stove for the same amount of time, if you prefer. 

While the stew is cooking, prepare the mushrooms and onions. 

Onion and Mushroom Garniture: 

1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned and cut into quarters
1/2 teaspoon salt
14-16-ounce box frozen baby onions

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large frying pan.  When hot, add the mushrooms and stir for 3 or 4 minutes, or until the mushrooms begin to brown.  Remove to a plate, sprinkle with salt and set aside. 

Cook the frozen baby onions according to the package directions and set aside.  NOTE: Julia Child’s recipe calls for fresh baby onions.  I’ve made this dish with both fresh and frozen onions and cannot tell the difference when eating it. 

When the beef is fully cooked, transfer the remaining cooking liquid into a large saucepan. It should measure about 2 1/2 cups.  If less, add more beef bouillon.  Skim off and discard any fat. 

Mix the 3 tablespoons softened butter with the 3 tablespoons flour in a small bowl until it forms a paste.  Add 3 tablespoons of the beef-cooking liquid to this paste and stir with a whisk.  When smooth, return the mixture to the beef liquid and bring to a simmer. This is the sauce. 

Add the mushrooms and onions to the beef and then pour in the sauce.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve the Boeuf Bourguignon with boiled potatoes, noodles or rice and the same wine you used during cooking.

                  For easy recipes, order "Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen!"