Cook off the alcohol

"Cook off the alcohol" means simmer wine, beer or spirits in a dish long enough to drive off the raw, sharp taste of alcohol. It is a common step after you deglaze a pan with wine, or add a splash of brandy to a sauce. The flavor of the drink stays, but the burn goes. Some alcohol always remains, though, even after long cooking.

How to do it

1. Add the wine or spirit to a hot pan, usually after browning meat or softening vegetables.
2. Let it bubble briskly over medium-high heat.
3. Scrape up the browned bits on the bottom as it bubbles.
4. Keep going until it has reduced by about half, or as the recipe says. For a splash of wine in a pan sauce, this takes 1 to 3 minutes.
5. Add the stock or other liquids and carry on.

How to tell it is done

Lean over the pan and smell carefully. At first the steam smells sharp and makes your nose sting. When the alcohol has cooked off, the smell turns soft, fruity and sweet, and the liquid has visibly reduced.

Why it works

Alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water, about 78°C (173°F), so it evaporates readily. But it mixes with water and leaves along with it, not all at once. Open simmering removes much of it in the first minutes. Stews and braises that cook for 2 hours or more keep only a small share. A quick flambé burns off less than people expect.

Common mistakes

• Adding stock straight after the wine. The sauce tastes raw and boozy.
• Cooking with a wine you would not drink. Its faults get stronger as it reduces.
• Pouring spirits from the bottle near a gas flame. Pour into a cup first and take the pan off the heat when you add it.
• Assuming the dish is alcohol-free. Do not count on it for children, pregnancy, or anyone who avoids alcohol for health or faith reasons.

In recipes

"Add the wine and let it bubble until reduced by half" and "cook until the alcohol smell is gone" mean the same. Chinese recipes often splash Shaoxing wine around the hot edge of a wok so it sizzles off quickly. "Cook out" or "burn off" are other forms of the phrase.