Friday Feature preview:- 101 uses for leftover wine

A while ago, I polled several wine friends on their favorite uses for leftover wine. The silence was deafening, the looks were puzzled, and the inevitable response was, "What leftover wine?"

Now, I know that I can't be the only person who likes a glass of wine in the evening with dinner or while cooking,,,,,and since I only drink 1 or 2 glasses, I sometimes don't  finish the bottle before it loses its freshness.

 Life is too short to drink wine that is past its prime; but fortunately, there are lots of delicious ways to use the wine even after its best days are over.

Looking for ways to utilize leftover wine will be our regular Friday feature. 

I will suggest recipes and techniques to make those little bits and schnitzles into something really tasty.

Will I get all the way to 101 uses? Check in every Friday and find out!

Uses for leftover wine #1

Use it in a marinade. 

Marinades both flavor and tenderize proteins.  They usually consist of an acidic ingredient such as wine, vinegar, citrus juice, or verjus (which does the tenderizing), oil, and herbs or spices. Plan on 1/2 cup of marinade per pound of meat, fish or poultry. These marinades will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.

Mix the ingredients in a ziplock bag or non-reactive container.

Add the meat, refrigerate  2-4 hours, turning occasionally. Larger cuts can be marinated overnight. Delicate fish can be ready in as little as 30 minutes. 

Remove the marinade before cooking. If you want the product to brown, pat it dry first to prevent a moisture barrier which will cause the food to steam rather than brown. If you want to baste the cooking meat or fish with the marinade, bring the marinade to a boil first to destroy any bacteria from its contact with raw product. 

Red Wine Marinade for Lamb or Beef

1 cup hearty red wine

3/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 stem or 2-3 smaller sprigs of fresh rosemary

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon sea salt

1.2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

White Wine Marinade for Chicken or Fish

1/2 cup fruity white wine

1/2 cup olive oil

zest and juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon thyme

1/2 tsp kosher salt

White Wine Marinade for Pork or Chicken

1 cup white wine

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate

1 tablespoon orange zest

2 tablespoons minced shallot

3 tablespoons dried herbs (oregano or thyme work well)

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Have fun with your marinades. Be creative. Use these as starting points and build your own signature recipes (and don't forget to have a nice glass of wine with the finished product!)