Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation Cooking with Wine subsitution question

I would like to try a linguini with clams recipe which calls for a dry white wine....not knowing anything much about wine can a very dry sherry be substituted?

trh I know you peeked

Yes, but use about 2/3, or less, than what it calls for and sample it before you use all of it. Sherry is far more bold than a dry white wine. The flavor won't be the same but it's not too bad either.

Better yet, go to the liquor store and buy a 1/2 size bottle or a pint size "juice box" of white wine.

Thanks! Please splain the difference between the 2 if you can in layman's terms

It's similar, but not the same, as the difference between a Coor's Light and an amber ... sort of.

On occasion I'll substitute dry sherry for other types of wine when cooking and when I don't want to buy a full bottle. The thing about dry sherry is it keeps for years without going bad. Any other type of wine goes off in weeks unless it's white wine and you store in the fridge. Even then it still has a limited shelf life.

In some dishes a bolder dry sherry is preferred. In lighter dishes a subtle dry white wine goes better. In linguini with clams, since it uses lots of garlic, a little bit less than what's called for of the slightly bolder sherry will work.

I don't use wine when I make clams but I have substituted the two types of wine in shrimp scampi which is very similar to clam sauce.

Thanks brother....the recipe just calls for wine. Thought I would try it.

As Fish Head said, it will work, but back off on the amount. Maybe even cut it with some chicken stock. Probably good with both wine or sherry, but you really should give both a try and see what you like. I would bet a dry white like chardonnay or a sauvignon blanc would be much better.

I bet a good chardonnay or sauvigon blanc would be better too. After all when you use what you want in the recipe you drink the rest.

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Generally, when a recipe calls for "dry white wine", they're usually talking about an inexpensive Chablis wine which "works". However, if you "know" wines, there is usually a better wine to substitute for plain ol' Chablis which is a mixture of about "everything" left over in white wine vats.

Unfortunately, dumping an 8 oz. cup or so of a wine you love to drink into a sauce or whatever often sorta "bothers" me... I'd rather DRINK it outta a glass with a stem, buttttttttt... I've been known to use a fair amount of a good Gewurztraminer (but NEVER a Chateau St. Jean Gewurztraminer! That would be almost "illegal"!!!) or maybe a nice Beringer Merlot in a recipe that called for a wine. Like Chateau St. Jean, I've never had a "bad" Beringer wine, they're a great vineyard.

As to your linquini with clams recipe, I suggest you try a Chateau St. Michelle Gewurztraminer... it should add a nice flavor to that dinner. While it's no Chateau St. Jean, it's still a decent Gewurtz which would do well with your linquini w/clams and be a very nice wine to serve with dinner as well since it is very reasonably priced at about $9.00 a bottle. Buy 2 bottles, one to cook with and drink while you're cooking (I call it "Chef's Sauce") and the other to serve with dinner.

Part of the "fun" with wines is finding those "cool" bargains and Chateau St. Michelle Gewurztraminer is one of those "bargains" I found a few years ago... well, maybe a tad longer ago than that.... !

In fact, I have a bottle of it "cooling" in the refrigerator right now because I plan to make a big pot of Chili later today and I'll be needing some "Chef's Sauce" while I cook... YUMMMMMMM! Of course, if I feel "spendy", I buy the Chateau St. Jean's Gewurztraminer at $17-$18 a bottle... it is SOOOOOO good!!!

Enjoy your linquini w/ clams... and the wine as well.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

I buy the 4 packs of small Sutter Home brand white wine. I think they are like 6 ounces.
You can even leave the wine out all together. I don't even like wine, and other than cooking with the stuff, I never have any on hand.

Yep they had that for $3 a bottle..I bought a $9 bottle of Chardonnay...didn't cook the meal yet as I injured my foot at work ( no I didn't file a claim ) it hurts bad enough I don't feel like standing when I get home.

My wife's name is Sherri. I just sample her and drink the wine.

Did you make it or throw out rotten clams?

fresh clam here? Shirley you jest.

I often use a dry Vermouth in place of white wine. I keep a bottle near the stove and sip the good stuff. I thought I was alone in this, but Cooks Illustrated did an article on it a while back. Their favorite cooking vermouth was also the least expensive. They like Gallo, believe it or not. It's less pronounced than say Noily Pratt.... I use that sometimes if the recipe calls for mushrooms though.

(Oooops..... No need to post it twice.)

I don't know what vermouth is. Must be wine.

Pictures?

Since alcohol boils away at a much lower temp I have found that a good wine vinegar will substitute for for wine in most all cases.