So much fuss is made over pairing wine and food that the
home cook may not think of wine as an asset in flavoring their dishes.
Michael Ruhlman, one of American’s most prolific and authoritative
food authors, said wine can be used as a great marinade to enhance foods.
Ruhlman, known for his 18 books and appearances on the Food Network and with Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel, made
a recent brief visit to Indiana.
The Cleveland native said one of the most important rules is
an old one. “Always use a wine that you would feel comfortable drinking,” he
said. “But not a Chateau Margaux (very expensive French wine). You don’t want
to throw that in a pot of stew; use a drinkable, affordable wine.”
“I like to add it in the beginning when the alcohol tends to
burn off faster. You can add it at the
end but it definitely flavors it different. I always add it first at the first
de-glazing or adding of the liquid ingredients.”
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| Ruhlman known for his books on food. |
Ruhlman has written books with some of the country’s top
chefs. He also has learned from them while writing. His big career break came
when he had the opportunity to help Thomas Keller, chef at The French Laundry
in Napa, write The French Laundry
Cookbook. The iconic wine country restaurant has long been considered one
of the country’s best.
“I learned this from Thomas Keller,” Ruhlman said. “People
often like to put wines in marinades but the alcohol in marinades will actually
de-nature the exterior of the protein and prevent any flavors from entering the
meat. You’re not really helping the meat; in fact, you’re helping the outside
become slightly mushy by marinating in wine.
What I learned from Keller is that if you’re going to use
wine, and it’s a great thing to marinate with, cook off the alcohol first then
add the aromatics. Add the onions, carrots, and thyme or whatever you want.
Throw in the pepper and some salt so that it steeps and cooks then flame it and
make sure you can’t get any flame. Once the alcohol is cooked off then you have
this really tasty fluid to marinate your meat.”
Ruhlman said he’d even eat boneless, skinless chicken breast
if it was properly marinated. “And let’s face it, chicken breast is the skim
milk of the protein world that America relies on. If home cooks would learn to
marinate it properly they’d have something really tasty.”
As a celebrity chef often recognized for his appearances as
a judge on Food Network’s Iron Chef, Ruhlman also gets asked about wine and
food pairing.
“I tell people to use their common sense and pay attention,”
he said. “Does it go well with the food?
Does the red wine go with the fish or does it overpower the fish? How does a
white wine contribute to the flavor? Does it have the right acidity for the
dish?
“We educate ourselves by paying attention to what we eat and
drink. There are no hard and fast rules. I try to tell people not to be
intimated by wine. There’s so much to learn and there are experts out there to
varying degrees. Don’t ever feel cowed by the experts and rely on your own
taste.”
