'Claret is the liquor for boys; port, for men; but he who aspires to be a heromust drink brandy," wrote Samuel Johnson. Drink the stuff, byall means, but today I'm urging you to be a hero in the kitchen andcook with brandy, too. And, forsuperhero status, set alight to itwhile you're about it.
Flambéeing may conjure memories of grand old hotel dining rooms and silver domed platters, but this sort of dish is far more thrilling to make at home, where any childish glee can remain unfettered by fusty black tie and too-tight jacket. There's something properly celebratory – pagan, even – about leaping flames dancing above your dinner. It's agleeful way to end the year.
We have the ingenious and thrifty Dutch to thank for what we now know as brandy. In the 17th century, to preserve wine for long journeys by sea and to make it more compact to transport, they distilled it (having already honed their booze-shrinking skills on gin). The intention was thatwater would be added to it when itreached its destination, butthey discovered that, when it was stored in oak barrels, it was particularly delicious just as it was. They called this fortuitous accident brandewijn, or burnt wine, from which we get our word brandy.
Many countries and regions have their own grape-based varieties of brandy, from cognac and armagnac to fiery grappa and Metaxa, but versions based on other fruits havealways flourished, too, such asthe cherry-based kirschwasser, poire William, plumy slivovice andthe appley calvados. In this country, cider brandy was first recorded in 1678 in Worlidge's Treatise of Cider, though production slowed to a mere amber trickle around the turn of the last century. Then, in 1989, Julian Temperley wasgranted a licence to distil cider made with the apples from his orchards at Burrow Hill in the Somerset Levels. It's this brandy, from the Somerset Cider Brandy Company, thatwe use all the time atRiver Cottage, splashing the sprightly five-year-old into hot pansand sauces, and saving the 10-,15- and 20-year-olds for special, spoiling snifters after dinner.
The judicious addition of brandy to your cooking is virtually guaranteed to bring family and friends to the table like a flutter of greedy moths to a flame. Of course, it's the go-to spirit for deglazing pans, adding adelicious edge to creamy sauces forsteak or pork. It works well with slower-cooked dishes, too – flaming the meat before cooking it slowly, asin today's pheasant recipe, adds areal depth to the sauce – while a slosh of brandy is essential to lobster bisque and French onion soup. It's this ability to cut through richness that makes it a good addition to many cheese dishes as well. Try it next time you make that cosy wintertreat of soft, rinded cheese cooked in its wooden box. Remove any paper packaging, brush the rind all over with brandy, return the cheese to its box and bake for 15 minutes or so at 200C/400F/gas mark 6, until it's melted into lazy, fonduey fabulousness. Serve piled on to toast or squished on to plain boiled spuds.
Brandy has a fantastic affinity with all kinds of sweet things, too. It gives chocolate cakes, pots and puds amore sophisticated edge, it'sagreat friend to fruit (see the recipe for crêpes suzette) and it liftsbaked apples, peaches or apricots to greater heights of sophistication. Dried vine fruits, too, often benefit from a night soaked in brandy before you stir them into cakes or, as we like to do at River Cottage, swirl them into brandy and raisin ice-cream. I can think of few better ways to end a meal – or year - than that.
Crêpes suzette
This classic dish is not complicated – you can make the crêpes ahead and warm them through in the sauce before serving. Serves four.
For the crêpes
140g plain flour
A pinch of salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
200ml whole milk
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 tbsp icing sugar
50g butter
For the sauce
40g caster sugar
Juice of 3 oranges, strained
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
50g butter
4 tbsp cider brandy, Grand Marnier or Cointreau, plus extra for flaming
Cut out some squares of baking parchment to tuck between the crêpes as you cook them.
Sift the flour and salt into alarge bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and whisk, gradually pulling in the flour from the sides ofthe bowl. In a jug, dilute the milkwith 50ml water and slowly whisk it into the batter until you have a smooth mixture the consistency ofsingle cream – you may not need all the milk. Stir in the orange zest and icing sugar, and leave to stand for 15-30 minutes.
When you're ready to cook the crêpes, warm the butter in a heavy-bottomed, 18cm-diameter or so frying pan. Stir a tablespoon of melted butter into the batter. Use kitchen paper to wipe the excess butter out of the pan, and reserve the butter-soaked paper.
Warm the pan over a medium flame. Ladle a couple of tablespoons of batter into the pan, swirling the pan to create a nice, thin crêpe. Cookfor about a minute, until set on top and golden on the bottom, then flip over with a spatula and cook on the other side for 20 seconds – this first crêpe is often a disaster, but don't worry. Rub the pan with a little butter from the kitchen paper every couple of crêpes or so. Stack the crêpes on a warmed plate with a square of parchment between each one as you go. You should have enough batter to make 16 crêpes.
To make the sauce, tip the sugar into a heavy-based frying pan and warm over medium heat until it melts and turns amber. Remove from the heat and add the juice, zest and butter. Return to the heat, warm through until just simmering, then add the brandy.
Fold the crêpes into quarters andpop them in the sauce for a few minutes, spooning the sauce over to make sure they're well coated and warmed through.
In a small pan, gently heat another few tablespoons of brandy, carefully light it and pour over the crêpes. Serve at once on warmed plates.
Pheasant with prunes and bacon
Flambéeing the birds with brandy before braising them adds real depth of flavour to the sauce. It works well with other meats, too – try it next time you make a slow-cooked leg of lamb or loin of venison. Serves four.
2 oven-ready pheasants
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
30g butter
4 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, peeled and finely sliced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin
300g streaky bacon, cut into strips, or lardons
80ml cider brandy, calvados or cognac
400ml white wine
500ml chicken stock
200g prunes
1 generous handful flat-leaf parsley, tough stalks removed and chopped
Heat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. If you prefer, halve the birds before cooking. Use a heavy, sharp knife or poultry shears to cut them in half down the back, remove the backbone, then chop in half down the middle. Season the birds well.
Place a large, heavy-bottomed casserole over a medium-low heat and warm the butter with a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions, thyme, bay leaves and a good pinch of salt, and cook gently, stirring, until the onions are soft, translucent and just beginning to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute.
While the onions are cooking, put a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and warm the rest of the oil. Fry the bacon just until it starts to take on some colour, then tip into the casserole with the onions. Raise the heat under the frying pan and brown the pheasants all over. Warm the brandy in a small pan, light carefully and pour over the pheasants. When the flames die down, transfer the pheasants to the casserole.
Deglaze the frying pan with a little of the white wine, scraping up any tasty brown bits, then pour over the meat. Add the rest of the wine, the stock and the prunes, bring to asimmer, cover the surface with baking parchment, pop on the lid and cook in the oven for an hour and a half to two hours, until the meat is very tender.
Remove the birds from the pan and keep warm. Simmer the sauce to reduce slightly, stir in the parsley and season to taste. Carve the birds (if you didn't halve them at the beginning) and serve with the sauce spooned over the top.
Mulled cider with brandy
Not only is this delicious, but it makes the kitchen smell wonderful, too. Serves about 10.
1.5 litres still cider
500ml good apple juice
About 100g light muscovado sugar
1 small eating apple stuck with 6cloves
1 strip each lemon and orange zest (pared with a vegetable peeler and all white pith removed)
2 cinnamon sticks
6 allspice berries
A couple of slices fresh ginger
About 150ml cider brandy, calvados or other brandy
Place everything but the brandy in alarge saucepan and warm gently over a medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When the sugar has dissolved, let it cook gently at the barest of simmers for five minutes (don't let it boil). Taste and add a bit more sugar if you like. Pour a tablespoon of brandy into each glass or cup and ladle mulled cider on top.
