Wine Information
Trying to cook Ckn piccata, it calls for a dry white wine?
I don't know much about wines. Is this a certain wine made just for cooking or a drinking wine? What is the best dry white wine I should use? Any pointers here would be much appreciated.
Public Comments
- Use something that you would drink (which doesnt help much if you dont drink it) or just ask. Most people in the grocery store or ABC store know about wines. I usually substitute chicken broth if I dont have wine on hand.
- The best rule I've heard is to never cook with a wine that you wouldn't enjoy drinking. A good idea would probably be to ask someone at your local wine store.
- When cooking with white wine normally a Chardonnay or Chablis is used. The wines made for cooking have added salt to them and should be avoided. When picking a brand, there is so many out there, and it's all up to your personal preference, but don't buy something to expensive if you are just going to cook with it.
- The simplest way to describe a dry wine is one that is not sweet. I'd go with a sovegnion blanc.
- you can use chicken broth if you don't wan tot use wine 1
- I worked in fine dining for a thousand years, and Chablis was always used for Piccata. Other dry whites are Chardonnay (very dry and heavy), Sauvignon Blanc (fairly dry and medium-bodied), and Pinot Grigio (fairly dry and light-bodied) The Chablis is best-suited for cooking in most cases. The Chardonnay has a very distinct flavor that can overpower a delicate-tasting sauce like Piccata. The Sauvignon Blanc would be OK, but it costs more. The Pinot just won't add much of anything to the sauce. Please don't use those "cooking wines" sold in the grocery aisles. Those are just acidic salt-water (nasty!). If you don't have wine, you can substitute chicken broth in most cases, but the wine really does make a good Piccata. And ... don't forget the capers!
- Dry wines are wines with a lower relative sugar level than sweet wines. This should not be confused with fruit-forwardness of a particular wine, as some wines are indeed very dry, yet have a very ripe fruit flavor to them. Bear in mind that most wines you buy at your local wine shop are "dry," but there are certainly many sweeter varieties. Good advice is to use only wine that you would drink, but balance that against value considerations, especially if you are going to be using a lot in the recipe. And NEVER NEVER NEVER use cooking wine. Not only does it have added salt, it is poor quality wine and won't significantly add to the depth of flavor that you are looking for by adding wine in the first place. Some of the most common varieties of white wines you'll find in the supermarket/wine shop: -Chardonnay: This is dry, but sometimes very oaky (that vanilla taste). Oaky wines can sometimes overpower the dish and probably not the best choice for chicken picatta. Chardonnay from France is usually not as oaky, if at all, but also usually much more expensive. I'd recommend crossing that off your list for this purpose. (by the way, "Chablis" is a chardonnay. It comes from france, and is an appellation of the Burgundy region...it is steely and dry, a very good choice, but also expensive...I say this only because "Chablis" and "Burgundy" have been mis-used in wine-speak in the US for years. Burgundy is simply a famous wine region in france that makes outstanding red wines, Pinot Noir, and outstanding, dry, non-oaky white wines, Chardonnay). -Sauvignon Blanc: This will be a fruity dry white wine and works very well in cooking. A good recommendation. Some very good ones come from New Zealand, but again, may be a little more expensive depending on your budget, so an American one will do just as nicely. Italian Whites: They often label by region, so it's sometimes difficult to tell what's in the bottle, but look for Pinot Grigio, as that particular variety is often labeled. That would be perfect for cooking an Italian dish like Picatta. You can also find cheaper American made Pinot Grigio's that will do the trick. (Also look for Pinot Gris, which is the French name for it, and may be labeled as such depending where its from...but it's the same thing). Another relatively common Italian white is Soave. It's sweeter, so if you see that, I'd pass for cooking. Riesling: Stay away from this for cooking where a dry white wine is called for. While some Rieslings are dry, most are not. Given that you are less familiar with wine, I wouldn't gamble (although, for drinking, German Rieslings are always a crowd pleaser, and for about $7 you can get an American made Riesling in the German style from Chateau Ste. Michelle...pick one up and see. At that price, it is a very good quality to price ratio in the wine world). But, in the end, I would recommend asking the clerk in a wine shop to recommend a value priced Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. Also, many people hesitate asking because they are embarrassed by their lack of knowledge. Don't be! Clerks in the stores appreciate that you ask for help because like any salesman, they want to sell you the best product for you and understand that wine isn't a passion to most people. That is the first step to true wine appreciation: being willing to ask for help and advice. You're on the right track with this question. Cheers!
