High on 'spirit'

Adding alcohol to food is definitely nothing new. Be it dark rum in the Christmas-special cakes made at home or the beer and liquor-laden sauces, candies and meats by professionals, alcohol has been a kitchen ingredient for generations now.

If used in the right quantity and paired right, the combination of alcohol in food enhances its taste. But the concept was limited to a very few recipes. However, in recent times, a lot of innovation has been done to the concept where many restaurants and eateries have introduced alcohol-infused dishes which are now gaining popularity.

The Hungry Monkey recently launched their new food menu where dishes like ‘Tequila Infused Sriracha &’, ‘Mirin Tofu’, ‘Sambuca Torched Feta &’ and ‘Rice Wine Sambal Chicken Skewers’ are on offer.

“The idea sparked while I was doing a trial for dishes to be added to the new menu. We realised how well the core flavours of alcohol merged with certain ingredients and decided to work more on experimenting with these flavours. These dishes have now become our top sellers,” says Noah Barnes, executive chef at the restaurant who curated the menu.

Addition of alcohol adds a unique dimension to the flavour of a dish. Some spirits add an oaky and earthy flavour while some give a fruity or floral twist to the dish.

Explaining the science behind alcohol infused food, group executive chef, Shamul Wahid, Impresario, says, “This is because of the two major properties of alcohol. One is the volatility of alcohol. The food aromas are enhanced if you mix them with alcohol like schnapps in a salad or macerated food. Secondly, alcohol is both fat and water soluble. Its flavour mixes well with the food.”

But despite these qualities, not all spirits can be infused with every food. The choice of an appropriate spirit with the food or fruit is very important. For instance, red meat is usually combined with robust flavours like red wine, whiskey and bourbon; white meat with more acidic and fruity flavours like white wine, vodka and tequila, and seafood and vegetarian food goes well with wine, tequila and sambucca.

“The taste of food or fruit should amalgamate with alcohol. Apple tastes well with brandy. Peach fruit really goes well with wine as the fruit soaks all the flavours, but it should be soaked for a couple of hours to enhance the taste. Also, BBQ and beer is a surprising match. The classic sweet flavour of beer compliments the smoky flavours from BBQ sauce and grilling,” says Chef Manoj from Locale Cafe and Bar, Saket.

Also, the quantity of alcohol to be used should be checked. The proportion depends on the nature of the dish, the time of cooking and the method of cooking.

Chef Manoj points out, “When alcohol is added to a boiling liquid and removed from heat, (a process frequently used in making reductions for meat dishes or desserts) almost 85 per cent of the alcohol stays intact. Thirty minutes of baking would leave you with over one-third of any alcohol you add to the mixture. For baking cookies, bake for about 15 minutes. They will end up containing about 40 per cent of any alcohol you’ve put in.” So, now that you know about the tips and tricks of this infusion, try out some at your home!