Traditional Cooking Chemicals (part 7) – Alcohol – Vanilla Extract

Does Alcohol “Burn Off” in Cooking?

No, not entirely. Even though the boiling point of pure ethanol
(C₂H₅OH) is lower than that of water at
atmospheric pressure (173°F / 78°C), the intermolecular bonding between ethanol and
other compounds in the food is strong enough that its boiling point varies based on the
concentration of ethanol in the food and how the other chemicals in the food hold on to
it.

The table to the right shows the percentage of alcohol remaining after various
cooking methods according to a paper published by researchers at the University of
Idaho.

Fat-Washing Alcohols: Butter-Infused Rum, Bacon-Infused Bourbon

The term “fat washing”
comes from the process of using fat to “wash out” undesirable molecules, but it is
more useful in the home kitchen (and in molecular mixology) as a way of infusing
oil-soluble compounds into alcohol. If you use a non-neutral flavored fat—a fat that
has other molecules mixed in—some of the flavorful molecules will bind with the
alcohol molecules (it is a solvent, after all) and remain behind in the
drink.

Why do this? Because you can create infused alcohols with flavors that
might not come out in traditional infusing. The flavors can either be native to the
fat (butter, bacon) or fat-soluble compounds bloomed in the fat before fat
washing.

Create an infusion of 3–5% fat and 95–97% alcohol. Try 2 teaspoons (10g) of melted
butter with 1 cup (200g) of rum or 2 teaspoons (10g) of bacon fat (filtered!) with 1 cup
(200g) of bourbon. Let rest at room temperature for 12+ hours. Longer times and higher
temperatures will yield a stronger infusion, so you’ll want to experiment.

Try using an immersion blender to kick-start the infusion.

After infusing, place infusion in freezer until fats have solidified, and then
filter through a coffee filter or other ~20-micron filter .

Unfiltered.

100 micron filter.

~10–20 micron filter.

Notes

• Try this with blue cheese, nut butters, and other
  fats.

• A key step in refining alcohol is the removal of undesirable
  compounds. It’s impossible to remove every last “bad” molecule, but the more that
  are removed, the better tasting the beverage will be. This is why “the good stuff”
  costs more: refiners are able to remove more of the off-tasting compounds by
  increasing the number of steps in processing or giving the alcohol longer to age,
  which allows for better yield of the chemical reactions that remove the compounds.
  Fat washing can be used as a DIY way to further refine an alcohol: the compounds
  will bind with some of the fat molecules, which can then be removed by simple
  filtration. Try using a neutral-flavored fat, such as lard, for refining without
  altering the flavor.

Vanilla Extract

In a small glass jar with a tight-fitting
lid, put:

1 vanilla bean, sliced open lengthwise and chopped into
strips to fit jar

1 oz (30g) vodka (use enough to cover vanilla
bean)

Screw lid on jar or place plastic wrap over top and store in a cool, dark place
(e.g., pantry) for at least a few days. Give the extract at least several weeks to
steep.

Notes

• The vanilla bean can be left over from some other recipe. If you cook
  with vanilla frequently, consider keeping the jar of vanilla constantly topped
  off. Whenever you use a vanilla bean, add it to the jar, removing an old one when
  space requires it. And as you use the extract, occasionally top off the jar with a
  bit more vodka or other liquor such as rum.

• Play with other variations: instead of vodka, which is used for its
  high ethanol content and general lack of flavor, you can use other spirits such as
  rum, brandy, or a blend of these.

• The ethanol dissolves a number of compounds present in the vanilla
  bean, including the compound vanillin, which gives vanilla its characteristic
  flavor.

• Instead of vanilla beans, try using star anise, cloves, or cinnamon
  sticks. Or try varying both solvent and substance (e.g., orange rind with Grand
  Marnier).

• Flavored alcoholic drinks can be made with this same technique.
  Instead of a large quantity of the solute (e.g., vanilla bean) and a minor amount
  of solvent (e.g., vodka), place a small bit of the solute into a bottle of the
  solvent. For an example, search online for nocino, an Italian
  walnut liqueur made with unripe walnuts, aromatic spices, and
  ethanol.

Sage Rush: Gin, Sage, and Grapefruit Juice

This is a simple cocktail and a darn good one. And having a simple,
darn-good cocktail in your repertoire can be handy. It only takes knowing one good
drink to impress that romantic potential.

Put two or three sage leaves (fresh!) in a shaker and muddle with the back side of a
spoon. Add 1 part gin and 1 part pink grapefruit juice—say, 2 oz (50 ml) of each—and add
several ice cubes. Shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass.

Note

• If you have fresh pink grapefruit, use that. Squeeze the juice from
  half a grapefruit and add gin to taste. You can muddle the sage leaf post-shaker
  directly in the glass as well.