Tim Maddams
MORE RECIPES
Devilled parsnips; DIY prawn cocktail; Spiced liver pâté; Snipe with swede and bacon; Roasted apricot Eton mess; Chocolate, brandy and star anise ice cream; Spotted dick with apple-brandy raisins; Prune, almond and caraway tart; Crêpes Suzette
SOURCING
ciderbrandy.co.uk; thecornishcyderfarm.co.uk
There is no substitute for brandy when it comes to adding layers of depth and richness to a dish, not to mention a warming alcoholic twang. It has a fantastic affinity with all kinds of sweet things – lending flavour to puddings, fresh and dried fruit, cakes and chocolate truffles. Flambéeing the spirit, as for crêpes Suzette or Christmas pudding, not only looks impressive, it also imparts a subtle, toasted caramel note.
Brandy is great for deglazing savoury pans, too. A small quantity will dissolve meaty or fishy residues, reducing and intensifying in the heat as it does so, before stock and/or cream is added and cooked down to a rich sauce. Grape brandies (see below) work particularly well for deglazing pans used for beef, and I love cider brandy with shellfish. Watch out when adding brandy to a hot pan: the brandy vapours are quite likely to spontaneously ignite.
Brandy is produced by distilling an already fermented liquor and can have an alcohol content anywhere between 35 and 60 per cent. Grape (wine) brandies are the most common and popular type, aged in oak casks to develop flavour and colour. Some are named after the region from which they come, the famous French examples being Cognac and Armagnac.
Fruit brandies are derived from other fruits, including apples, pears and plums. Apple or cider brandies are made in apple-growing regions, including our own West Country and all over Normandy, where they go under the name of Calvados. A lovely tipple is apple brandy mixed with equal quantities of good apple juice, served over crushed ice. And an apple brandy and blackberry posset is a thing of wonder, made simply by heating cream with lemon juice until it thickens, and then adding a sweetened purée of raw blackberries and brandy before chilling.
Pomace brandy is made from the remains of grapes after their juice has been extracted for wine. The French version is marc and the Spanish orujo, with the most famous being Italian grappa.
For cooking, there’s no need to splash out on expensive brandy, but nor should you cook with anything you wouldn’t happily drink. The finest, well-aged brandies should be enjoyed at room temperature – in a warmed glass to release their aroma. More ‘rugged’ brandies should be drunk with ice – or very, very quickly.
Ideally, put the raisins to soak in the brandy the day before, to give them plenty of time to plump up. Serve the truffles with coffee. Makes about 24
75g raisins
50ml brandy
200g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
150ml double cream
20g unsalted butter
Cocoa powder, to dust
Put the raisins into a bowl, add the brandy, stir and then leave to soak for 4–5 hours, or overnight. Line a shallow 24 x 15cm baking tray (or similar) with cling film.
Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl. Put the cream and butter in a small pan over a medium heat and bring to a low simmer, then immediately pour over the chopped chocolate. Leave to stand for several minutes until the chocolate is melted.
Once melted, stir gently until glossy and smooth, then add the raisins, along with any brandy remaining in the bowl, and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared tray and refrigerate for 2–3 hours until set.
To serve, turn the truffle mixture out of the tray and cut it into small cubes. Place a few cubes in a sieve set over a bowl. Scatter over a few teaspoonfuls of cocoa and shake gently to coat. The cocoa that falls through into the bowl can be used for the next batch.