Whiskey-Infused Feasts: Recipes for Every Occasion

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Whiskey is an incredibly underutilized cooking ingredient, with far too many people not knowing how it can elevate a dish. Here are a few tips for cooking with whiskey, as well as some great recipes you can use to take your meals to the next level. 

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Whiskey Types

The first thing you need to know is how different types of whiskeys will suit different dishes. Whether it be a Singleton scotch whiskey, a single malt, a blended, or anything in between, each will suit a different ingredient or meal. 

 

Bourbon, for instance, has a slightly sweeter taste and sometimes a few notes of vanilla. This means it can be great for desserts, but also for marinades or some sauces, especially with red meat. 

Cook with What You Would Drink

Any good chef will tell you that when you cook with alcohol, always cook with something you would drink. For the best outcome, don’t buy any old whiskey just because it is whiskey; rather, choose one that is of a higher quality. 

 

This doesn’t mean you need to spend the big bucks on a rare 30-year-old whiskey, but you should be a bit more discerning with your choices, especially if you don’t drink whiskey regularly and you don’t know what is and isn’t good. 

Less is More

Whiskey is a strong flavor, and can be overwhelming if you use too much. Because of this, it is best to rather add too little and then add bit by bit, instead of adding too much and ruining the dish you add it too. 

 

If you haven’t cooked with whiskey before, add a tablespoon or two, cook it down, and then taste. The flavor changes as the alcohol cooks off, and you may find that you need a bit more to get the whiskey bite you are looking for. 

Recipes

While whiskey can be added into a lot of different things, here are a few basic recipes and components that you can make to get more whiskey into your cooking. 

BBQ Sauce

Whiskey and red meat are a match made in heaven, and a great way to get the two together is to create a whiskey-infused BBQ sauce. Bourbon can add some sweetness and kick to a BBQ sauce, without the need for extra sugar. 

 

A good BBQ sauce also offers a smokey flavor, and there are many types of whiskeys that not only add the smokey touch, but enhance it as well. 

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Caramel Sauce 

A caramel sauce can be used with ice cream, pie, a tart, or even part of a milkshake. Again, whiskey and desserts are another common combination, but if you want a staple that can work with a lot of different dishes, a whiskey caramel sauce is brilliant. 

 

The great thing about this method is that you don’t cook the sauce for too long, and therefore you keep the boozy zing of the whiskey, which can balance out the super-sweet caramel base. 

Bourbon-Glazed Pork Belly

For a savory dish, bourbon is the perfect option for a glaze. The sweet and smoky notes take your glazes to another level, and when cooked down until crispy, you get a zingy, smokey piece of meat that tastes like it just came off the barbecue. 

 

In this case, use a cut of meat that is already brilliant when covered in a glaze and crisped up, such as pork belly. The bourbon can cut through some of the fattiness, while accentuating the sweet, porky flavor of the meat. 

Whiskey Cream Sauce

A cream sauce is one of the most versatile sauces you can make, considering it can be used for both savory and sweet dishes, and multiple things can be added to it, such as pepper, mushrooms, vanilla, or almost anything you may feel like. 

 

However, whiskey allows you to use it for both sweet and savory meals, as it can balance out the sweetness of a dessert, or add a kick to a steak. The Scots use it in a cream sauce to balance out and cut through the richness of haggis, making it a common addition to most haggis-based meals. 

Irish Apple Tart

One dish that is not only just as good as the original, but possibly even better when you add whiskey is an apple tart. The sweet, fruity dessert is the perfect match for a smokey, zingy whiskey or bourbon. 

 

The “savory sweetness” of whiskey not only adds punch, but accentuates the flavor of the entire tart. You can also opt for a whiskey caramel sauce that can be drizzled over the top of a slice for a different hit of flavor. 

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Whiskey Butter

Finally, a compound butter should be a staple in any kitchen as it can be as simple or as complex as you want, and can be used in almost every type of dish. In this case, a whiskey compound butter should be the next one you choose. 

 

You can throw a spoonful of it on top of a steak, use it instead of regular butter when making cookies or a cake, or you can simply spread it on a fresh slice of toast. It is incredibly versatile, and adds that extra touch of flavor to almost anything.