We asked local chefs their favorite cooking alcohol
Chef’s favorite things
Discover the favorite cooking alcohols of Lowcountry chefs. From bourbon to wine, learn how these secret ingredients enhance flavor in the kitchen.
Palmetto Bluff Club
“Most chefs use a good deal of basic red and white wine in cooking that help give flavor to stocks, sauces and ragouts. One wine in particular that I always have in inventory is a good quality, dry sherry wine. It’s great to use towards pan sauces by deglazing the pan after searing meats. It can also be used in seafood dishes because its flavor very much complements fish and shellfish. I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention the magic and merit of sherry wine’s sour cousin, sherry vinegar. The added drop or two of sherry vinegar into soups, salad dressing and a quick pan sauce gives just the right amount of acid and balance to a dish. These are two ingredients I never run out of in both my home and work kitchens.”
– Chef Beth Cosgrove
Nunzio Restaurant + Bar
“White wine is widely used for many everyday dishes. However, I like to use brandy when refining certain dishes, including seafood, oysters and lobster. The flavor profile is elevated when using brandy under these circumstances.”
– Chef Nunzio Patruno
Michael Anthony’s Cucina Italiana
“My favorite alcohol to cook with is bourbon. It is versatile and a great addition to almost anything. From a barbecue sauce for grilled chicken or a kick to a creme anglaise, bourbon is a fun way to bring a little extra flavor to a dish.”
– Chef Kenny Warthen
The Golf Club at Indigo Run
“Vernaccia, a dry white wine from Sardinia, Italy, is the perfect wine to cook a white fish.”
– Chef Simone Concas
