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Q: Wine Reduction Sauce

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wrcstl

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Q: Wine Reduction Sauce

by wrcstl » Wed Dec 06, 2006 10:11 am

Am making a Charlie Trotter recipe and like many of his recipes some things seem a little strange. It calls for a wine reduction sauce reduced to 1/4 cup. He starts with THREE bottles of wine, one is a port, reduces and then adds 1/2 cup chicken stock. It all reduces to 1/4 cup. This seems ridiculous; a reduction of something like 36 to one. Nothing in the thing to make it thicken and don't see the need to use more than one bottle to get 1/4 cup. Any chefs out there to give me some comments?
Walt
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Barb Freda

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Re: Q: Wine Reduction Sauce

by Barb Freda » Wed Dec 06, 2006 11:31 am

Well, with a reduction like that you wouldn't NEED a thickening agent, that's for sure...Is that a printed recipe for home cooks? Not for nothing, but I'd never reduce three bottles of vino to 1/4 c....waste of good wine..I'd sacrifice one (or a blend of wine and port..

My two cents...
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Mike Filigenzi

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Re: Q: Wine Reduction Sauce

by Mike Filigenzi » Wed Dec 06, 2006 11:33 am

Sounds to me like he's trying for something a bit syrupy. It's extreme but I'd be inclined to give it a try.

Please report back if you do it. I'd be interested in knowing how long it takes to get that reduction as well as how it tastes.

Mike
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Re: Q: Wine Reduction Sauce

by wrcstl » Wed Dec 06, 2006 12:22 pm

Barb Freda wrote:Well, with a reduction like that you wouldn't NEED a thickening agent, that's for sure...Is that a printed recipe for home cooks? Not for nothing, but I'd never reduce three bottles of vino to 1/4 c....waste of good wine..I'd sacrifice one (or a blend of wine and port..

My two cents...


It is in one of his books, not something I made up. Think I am going to go with one bottle of a "goopy" wine, something like Yellow Tail Shiraz. It is used to drizzle around the plate and certainly will be tasted but not a major part of the main dish which is a celery root ravioli with a mushroom stuffing.
Walt
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Bob Parsons Alberta

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Re: Q: Wine Reduction Sauce

by Bob Parsons Alberta » Wed Dec 06, 2006 12:46 pm

Walt, that sounds fair to me. There is a red wine reduction sauce on the Grill menu, will look it up when I visit tomorrow.
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Re: Q: Wine Reduction Sauce

by Jenise » Wed Dec 06, 2006 3:09 pm

I can't picture a 36:1 reduction either: I smell a kitchen test coming on. Now what do I have around here I'd be willing to sacrifice?
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Robert J.

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Re: Q: Wine Reduction Sauce

by Robert J. » Wed Dec 06, 2006 6:58 pm

Celebrity cookbooks can often contain editing errors. You might want to get in touch with the publisher and see if they have recieved any other comments on this.
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Bob Ross

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Re: Q: Wine Reduction Sauce

by Bob Ross » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:57 pm

Walt, the recipe for Trotter's Red Wine Reduction in Charlie Trotter's Seafood -- a reduction that is used in several recipes -- has less wine and port:

Yield: 1/2 cup

1 Spanish Onion, coarsely chopped
1 Carrot, coarsely chopped
1 stalk Celery, coarsely chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 750 ml bottle Burgundy
2 cups Port
1 cup Chicken Stock (see separate recipe)

METHOD: In a medium saucepan, caramelize the onion, carrot, celery, apple and garlic in the grapeseed oil.

Add the Burgundy and the Port and simmer over medium heat for two hours.

Strain and place in a small saucepan with the Chicken Stock.

Continue to simmer over medium heat for one hour or until reduced to one half cup.

***

The basic Chicken Stock recipe:

Yield about 6 cups.

10 pounds chicken bones
2 Spanish onions, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
4 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 bulb garlic cut in half
1 bulb celery root, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon black pepper corns

METHOD

Put all ingredients in a large saucepan and cover with cold water, about two gallons. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for four hours, skimming any impurities that rise to the surface. Strain and reduce for another 45 minutes, or to about six cups.

***

I agree with Robert J. -- your version looks like a typo to me.

Regards, Bob
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David Creighton

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Re: Q: Wine Reduction Sauce

by David Creighton » Thu Dec 07, 2006 12:05 pm

you think it reasonable to sacrifice even one bottle of wine for decoration? this is modern cuisine gone goofy.
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Re: Q: Wine Reduction Sauce

by wrcstl » Thu Dec 07, 2006 1:45 pm

Bob Ross wrote:Walt, the recipe for Trotter's Red Wine Reduction in Charlie Trotter's Seafood -- a reduction that is used in several recipes -- has less wine and port:

Yield: 1/2 cup

1 Spanish Onion, coarsely chopped
1 Carrot, coarsely chopped
1 stalk Celery, coarsely chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 750 ml bottle Burgundy
2 cups Port
1 cup Chicken Stock (see separate recipe)

METHOD: In a medium saucepan, caramelize the onion, carrot, celery, apple and garlic in the grapeseed oil.

Add the Burgundy and the Port and simmer over medium heat for two hours.

Strain and place in a small saucepan with the Chicken Stock.

Continue to simmer over medium heat for one hour or until reduced to one half cup.

***

The basic Chicken Stock recipe:

Yield about 6 cups.

10 pounds chicken bones
2 Spanish onions, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
4 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 bulb garlic cut in half
1 bulb celery root, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon black pepper corns

METHOD

Put all ingredients in a large saucepan and cover with cold water, about two gallons. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for four hours, skimming any impurities that rise to the surface. Strain and reduce for another 45 minutes, or to about six cups.

***

I agree with Robert J. -- your version looks like a typo to me.

Regards, Bob


That is pretty much the recipe I was going to use. He seems to like port but I am going to substitute a very fruity wine for the Burgundy and reduce to about 3/8 cup. It is more than just decoration, you will taste it, but his recipe seems silly. If it is a typo he has two of them, he uses three bottles of wine and reduces to 1/4 cup. I think he spends little time on the exact quantities, just on the ingredients, flavors and presentation. Had it over Thanksgiving and it was really god but the person who made the recipe only used 1 bottle of wine and nobody complained.
Walt

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