Cooking Sherry

[Lori]

I have a recipe that calls for Sherry.  If I remember correctly, I used Banyuls way back when as a sort of replacement.  But it was kinda on the sweeter side.

Can anyone advise what I might look for at the supermarket?  Doesn't need to be anything too expensive as it will likely only be used for cooking.

Thank you !

[betise]

Depends on the recipe, but you could, at a pinch, substitute vinaigre de xérès (sherry vinegar) in savoury dishes. Wouldn't work in a sherry trifle though.

[Le martin-pêcheur]

You could try Pineau des Charentes rouge...........not expensive and available in most supermarkets.

My wife has used this for trifles before and it works well enough. Savoury dishes, don't know, sorry.

Hope that helps.

Cheers!

[Lori]

Thank you both.  This is for a recipe with fresh green beans with a girolles/cream sauce.  It is the sauce that calls for the sherry.  So, it is a savory recipe.  I found something from Portugal that might work, not sure.  This is it.

I've bought the vinaigre before and I don't think it would work for this.

https://courses.monoprix.fr/products/MPX_2601261/details

[betise]

Erm, Lori, I think the link you have just given is for something else entirely!

[pip24]

How about Madeira ? If you can source it .

[JohnFB]

madeira or malaga, easily available at least here in Leclerc. I usually use malaga / xereres vinaigre blend to get what i want.

JFB

[mint]

If you could get marsala, that would be the BEST choice in my opinion.  Used it a lot in sauces and it really enhances the flavour.  But I have never used it in France so don't know how easily obtainable it would be.

[Loiseau]

Sherry varies widely, from dry fino, like Tio Pepe, via amontillado, to oloroso. Does the original recipe specify which end of the range? I would have thought something drier than Marsala would be best with a savoury dish.

Supermarkets sometimes sell those small, fairly flat quarter-bottles of things like kirsch. I wonder if you would find something suitable among those? Actually maybe port (very popular in France) would be appropriate? Can you get the light colour? I suppose the tawny might impart a weird colour to your sauce.

[Lehaut]

In the same boat, we ordered a bottle of Tio Pepe from Amazon € 11.74, including delivery, last year. Non in stock at the moment, though they do Harvey's Bristol Cream for those who enjoy that sort of thing.

[Lori]

[quote user="betise"]Erm, Lori, I think the link you have just given is for something else entirely![/quote]

That's too funny !  Sorry about that.  Daughter is coming to visit and asked for a certain supply of things.  Had to make sure I was getting one of them right...  Obviously a mistake.

Let me try this again..  Here is what I found.  I have it in my panier to try.  Hopefully it won't ruin the meal.  The recipe does not specify what type of Sherry.

https://courses.monoprix.fr/products/MPX_722117/details

[Lori]

[quote user="JohnFB"]

madeira or malaga, easily available at least here in Leclerc. I usually use malaga / xereres vinaigre blend to get what i want.

JFB

[/quote]

This sounds like a good idea.  I found the small flask of Madeira Cruz and can add some xeres vinaigre to that.

Thanks everyone for all the ideas.

[mint]

[quote user="Loiseau"]Sherry varies widely, from dry fino, like Tio Pepe, via amontillado, to oloroso. Does the original recipe specify which end of the range? I would have thought something drier than Marsala would be best with a savoury dish.

Supermarkets sometimes sell those small, fairly flat quarter-bottles of things like kirsch. I wonder if you would find something suitable among those? Actually maybe port (very popular in France) would be appropriate? Can you get the light colour? I suppose the tawny might impart a weird colour to your sauce.[/quote]

But, Loiseau, Marsala doesn't taste sweet once it's in the sauce.  It adds subtlety and depth.  You know, same as if you are doing a stir-fry, you always add a small amount of sugar.  In fact, since I heard Carlucci said on tv that tinned tomatoes are too sharp for many Italian sauces, I now reduce the amount of the tinned juice and adds about half a teaspoon of sugar.  Can't taste the sweetness in that either.

It's just something I do, do it for curries and all and nobody has ever said this tastes a bit sweet!

[Lori]

I just looked at the recipe again.  It calls for 3 T of dry sherry.  So, I'm not so sure the Madère Cruz stuff I found is dry.  Does anyone know?

[idun]

As you are in Paris isn't there a chinese supermarket? Because I used to use Rice Wine to replace sherry and I bought mine in France from a fantastic chinese supermarket in a local city. Had a quite a long drive, but worth it.

[Lori]

Yes, Idun, I do have Rice wine.  I can use that.

[Loiseau]

Interesting point, mint; I think I have added a bit of sugar occasionally to tomato dishes, now you mention it.

Lori, I was going to suggest dry martini, because I am sure it exists, but I kept getting recipes come up for gin and dry martini à la James Bond. The French are big in the red Martini, but you don't seem to see the dry one on the shelves much.

However, what about Noily Prat? It's French, so should be more easily findable.

But if you already have the rice wine that idun suggests, I’d give that a go...

[pomme]

Martini is just one brand of red and white vermouths. It is available in all supermarkets. Supermarkets usually have their own brand of red/white vermouth-like aperitvos. However vermouths have a flavour of artemisia (for bitterness) and other herbs.

Here we use muscat de Rivesaltes (or Samos) (about 4€), a natural sweet wine, in cooking. If necessary, sharpening it up with one of the cheap balsamic vinegars in savoury recipes and meat sauces.

[idun]

If you have rice wine then I personally wouldn't even look for anything else.

In the chinese recipes I have, sherry will replace rice wine, so why not the other way round.

[betise]

I second rice wine, as Idun suggested. It would absolutely do the trick!

[pomme]

If you use rice wine, be careful to check the contents. Cooking rice wine can contain salt - so not something you might want to drink

[chessfou2]

Go to your favourite caviste - they will be able to help. If they do not have what you need, they should be able to point you in the right direction.

[Lori]

Thank you everyone.  Lots of wonderful advice.  Much appreciated.

After having put my Madère Cruz in my Monoprix panier (for delivery), it dropped off as out of stock....  Good grief !

Amazon seems to have only nice (more than I want to pay) bottles of Sherry or light port.

What a pain in the a**.  Yes, there are numerous wine shops in this town and I'm sure they would have something for me.  I'm fairly confident it would be at a price I am not willing to pay.  I just need 3 tablespoons.

I will use the rice vinegar that I already have.

[Lori]

[quote user="pomme"]

Here we use muscat de Rivesaltes (or Samos) (about 4€), a natural sweet wine, in cooking. If necessary, sharpening it up with one of the cheap balsamic vinegars in savoury recipes and meat sauces.[/quote]

I remember using that in the past.  Only for this recipe, I think it would be too sweet.  Good idea to splash in some vinegar to offset that.

[Lori]

[quote user="Loiseau"]

However, what about Noily Prat? It's French, so should be more easily findable. [/quote]

I had never heard of that, so I looked it up.  Interesting.  It appears they have four different varieties of Noily Prat.  I have never tasted any of these things, so I have no idea what they taste like. I have had a couple of different, decent (too expensive for this task) Sherries.  I barely remember what they tasted like.  It was a long time ago, but I do remember liking them.

I imagine if I chose a Noily Prat, I would want the white, dry one.  Though, honestly, I have no idea.

I walk down the booze aisle in the supermarket and have no idea what half the stuff is...