Wine Substitute For Smoked Cod And Cannellini Beans

Asked by craig74. Answered on 7th October 2019

Full question

Hi Nigella and team, I want to make the Smoked Cod and Cannellini Beans. However, I seldom have white wine in the house. I do have dry vermouth however. Can I use this instead? If so, is it a direct swap in terms of amount?

Smoked Cod and Cannellini Beans

By Nigella

Our answer

Nigella's Smoked Cod And Canellini Beans (from NIGELLA EXPRESS) is a quick stew made with smoked cod (or haddock) and canned beans. The beans are warmed through with a combination of white wine and fish poaching liquid.

Dry white vermouth is a handy cooking standby and can be used as a substitute for white wine in most dishes. As it is an aromatised wine it is more assertive than plain white wine so you may not want to use the full 80mls (1/3 cup). We would suggest using 50ml (3 tablespoons) of vermouth and 30ml (2 tablespoons) of extra fish poaching liquid. It may also be worth noting that wine can be frozen and used for cooking, so if you have some leftover at some point don't throw it away but instead put it in an airtight container and tuck it away in the freezer for using in dishes such as this, or in risotto or for deglazing pans.