What you should know

Combined with herbs and/or other condiments, wine enhances the flavours of simmering stews and sauces like Béarnaise or Bordelaise. It does so both by reducing and balancing the acidity in the sauce.

What not to do

Too much alcohol will overpower the sauce. The key is to use just the right amount, and strive for balance.

What kind of dishes to cook with wine and spirits 

Béarnaise and Bordelaise sauces, of which I can never have enough, and also classics like coq au vin or bœuf bourguignon,which I often make at home. I love flambéeing lobster bisque with Canadian whisky, for example, or a tarte Tatin with Michel Jodoin's apple brandy XO. , and enhancing venison tartare with a peaty and smoky scotch like Lagavulin.

 

Daniel Vézina is the founder and executive chef of the Laurie Raphaël Group. He’s published six cookbooks, including La cuisine réfléchie: Bien manger sans gaspiller (Les Éditions La Presse), a gold-medal winner of the Taste Canada Awards.