Ingredient of the Week: Whisky
With St. Patrick’s day marking the calendar, what would be more appropriate to feature than something originating in Ireland, and the integral ingredient used in the famous Irish Coffee?
Whisky, in general, refers to a broad category of alcoholic beverages that are distilled from fermented grain mash and aged in wooden casks (generally oak). A popular legend is that St Patrick introduced distillation to Ireland and Britain, but it is also possible that the distillation process was actually discovered in Ireland. Indeed, the first written record of whisky comes from 1405 in Ireland. Whisky derives from the Gaelic word for “water” and is called “uisce beatha” in Irish, meaning “Water of Life”. In order to differentiate Dublin whiskey from other whiskies, the Dublin distilleries adopted the spelling “whiskey” (which is why you will see here the spelling varies). In the late Victorian era, Irish whiskey was the world’s whiskey of choice, and Dublin whiskeys were regarded as the grandest of all.
There are, however, different types of whiskies worldwide: Scotch (from Scotland), Canadian, American, Welsh, and even Japanese and Indian varieties, but since we are celebrating St Patty day, let’s focus for a moment on the Irish spirit. Although it is similar to Scotch in many ways, Irish whiskey is distilled three times rather than only twice. Another way Irish whiskey differs is that peat is almost never used in the malting process, as with Scotch. Irish whiskeys must be aged in wooden casks for a period of not less than three years. There are several types of whiskey common to Ireland: Single Malt, Single Grain, Pure Pot Still and Blended Whiskey.
Whisky, overall, is comprised of different grains – and therefore ingredients – used for different varieties of the spirit (including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and maize). Nevertheless, whisky itself can be used as an ingredient in many culinary recipies and beverages.
The aforementioned legendary Irish Coffee is a delectable cocktail consisting of hot coffee, Irish whiskey, and sugar, stirred, then topped with a floating layer of thick cream. But the Irish are not, by far, the only nationality to enjoy whisky. The Americans used their most famous whisky, Jack Daniels, to produce the Lynchberg Lemonade as well as Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce. In fact, Americans seem to love whisky in their sauce, something exemplified by New Orleans Bread Pudding and Whiskey Sauce.Which brings us to food.
For starters, try Crab Whiskey Soup. Then, for tempting entr?es, stir in some whisky and sour cream into Pork Medallions or combine whisky, bacon, mustard, and rosemary to make a rich and flavourful pan-fried beef dish. The most common American whisky is Bourbon (made from at least 51 per cent corn), which is renown for creating gastronomic favourites such as Bourbon Glazed Ham and Orange Braised Bourbon Chicken. When it comes to desserts, Bourbon Pecan Cake will make a decandent finish to any meal. But, if your celebrating St Patrick’s Day all the way, Irish Whiskey cake is the way to go for the most intoxicating finale!
Recipies from:
www.epicurean.com & allrecipies.com
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