From sugary sauces to peppery creams and marinades, more and more chefs are cooking with whiskey.
Spirits, in general, continue their advance into a market once dominated mostly by beer and wine.
Sales of small batch spirits across the United States have doubled, year over year, since 2013, said Paul Hletko, founder of FEW Spirits in Evanston.
And in Hletko’s opinion, that’s good news for cooking. “The underlying sweetness of bourbon makes it perfect for everything from braising meats to making desserts,” he said.
Those new to spirits often ask about the difference between bourbon and whiskey. There are several factors that set bourbon, a type of whiskey, apart from other whiskeys. Bourbon must ferment in new oak barrels that are charred. While barrels for making all other whiskeys must be oak, they do not need to be charred or new, Hletko said. When making whiskey, the liquid needs to be distilled to no more than 190 proof. With bourbon, the liquid must be distilled to no more than 160 proof and barreled at 125. Another factor that makes bourbon unique is that it must be made from 51 percent corn.
Corn and bourbon come together in the Old Forester Bourbon Caramel Cornbread Cake at Spears in Wheeling. A caramel whiskey sauce tops the cornbread cake.
“We were experimenting with a cornbread recipe to pair with an entrée,” Owner Joseph Romeo said. “We decided to add some Old Forester Bourbon. After we tried that out, we felt it needed something sweet to complement its flavors. A bit of caramel and a few other ingredients later, and our side dish evolved into one of our favorite desserts.”
Whiskey is also the star of the caramel sauce for the bread pudding at The Celtic Knot Public House in Evanston.
Celtic Knot Chef Carlos Perez suggested working with milder, more natural flavors to really highlight the whiskey. “Consider using coconut syrup instead of sugar,” he said.
To make his caramel whiskey syrup, Perez cooks down four cups of sugar with one cup of water on the stove top. He adds four cups of cream, one pound of butter and three-fourths cups whiskey. He mixes it all together until well blended and heated, then he cools it a bit and drizzles it lightly over the bread pudding.
Bread pudding with whiskey sauce is also on the menu at Wildfire restaurants, which is where tenderloin tips get a quick (3-4 hours) marinade bath in Basil Hayden’s Bourbon. “The marinade isn’t meant to tenderize, but to bring the flavors together,” said Executive Chef and Partner Joe Decker. “The bourbon gives the tenderloin a slightly peppery flavor and aroma and a very smooth finish with slight vanilla overtones.”
Decker said the bourbon marinade is only one small part of the cooking process, but a key component. “What you are trying to accomplish is a nice blend of a little acidity, oils, spices and a little sour and sweet,” he said. “The bourbon is nice because it king of smooths out the flavor.”
At Redstone American Grill in Oakbrook Terrace, tiny black peppercorns team up with whiskey to flavor the sauce in Ribeye Jameson au Poivre.
“By heating up the peppercorns in oil until they pop, and then deglazing the pan with Jameson Irish Whiskey, we release the smoky and spicy flavor of the whiskey into the peppercorns, burn off the alcohol and add a slight hint of salt as the natural oils and cooked barley add their flavors to the base of the sauce,” said Redstone American Grill Chef Chris Daley.
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Heavy cream is slowly reduced into the sauce. “It binds and holds the flavors of the peppercorns, salt and the creamy smoky whiskey flavor,” Daley said. Then the sauce is added to a ribeye steak that is seared in a cast iron frying pan.
“Cooking with any liquor is an art of both taste and procedure,” Daley said. “The art form is knowing how much to work with and what the final taste will be, which is accomplished by trial and error in most cases.”
“Experiment,” Romeo said. “Have fun and learn.”
Jameson Au Poivre Sauce
(Yields four portions.)
1 ounce whole black peppercorns
1 ounce extra virgin olive oil
1/4 pound butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup Jameson Irish Whiskey
2 cups veal stock (or beef stock)
4 cups heavy cream
Coat whole peppercorns in the extra virgin olive oil and set aside.
Slowly melt the butter in a stock pot until liquid. Swirl butter to coat sides and bottom of pot.
Once pan is coated, remove butter from pot and set aside.
Return the pot to the stove and turn on medium high heat.
Add the coated peppercorns until they begin to pop like popcorn.
Deglaze the pan with 1/3 cup Jameson Irish Whiskey and continue to stir.
Add the butter, the veal stock and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, add four cups heavy cream.
Reduce the sauce by half (or until one pint remains).
Remove from heat and place in container to cool down.
Taste for saltiness.
Serve warm with meat.
The thickness of the Jameson sauce is dependent upon the thickness of the veal stock and how well the fat has been removed from the veal stock.
Chris Daley, Redstone American Grill, Oakbrook Terrace