Recipes Without Wine

Our answer

Nigella uses wine in some sauces and stews as it adds flavour. However if you are not able to add alcohol to your dishes then usually any wine can be replaced with stock. If the recipe already uses stock then just add extra of the stock you are using. So for the Beef Stew With Anchovies And Thyme replace the red wine and marsala with 550ml extra beef stock. If the recipe does not include stock, such as Coq Au Riesling, then use an appropriately flavoured stock. So for this recipe we would suggest using chicken or vegetable stock. If the recipe uses a dry white wine then you may also like to add a splash of lemon juice at the end of cooking, to brighten up the sauce a little.

In desserts, where alcohol is added, you can usually replace the alcohol with an appropriate flavouring. So for dark spirits such as brandy, whisky and rum you could add 1 to 2 teaspons vanilla extract. If the liqueur is citrus flavoured then add orange or lemon juice instead and if fruit flavoured then use an appropriate fruit juice. The no-churn ice creams, such as Nigella's One-Step No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream, can generally have alcohol omitted, but bear in mind the texture of the ice cream will be harder and the ice cream may need to stand out of the freezer for 10-15 minutes to soften before serving.