#red-wine

#red-wine

I love pies. I scoff when people ask: What is British cuisine? First, we have the most diverse culinary scene on the planet, with great Asian and Mediterranean food everywhere. And, second, what even is British cuisine?! A pie is one of the greatest dishes ever created. Think a chicken, rabbit and tarragon pie, with good 50:50 butter:potato mash and really good gravy. I don't want to eat that in July, sure, but on a chilly day, there is no better dish.

An old-fashioned beef stew recipe starts with browning bacon and beef, which leaves a layer of meaty remnants at the bottom of the stew pan. We spoke with Matthew Ryle, chef and author of "French Classics: Easy and Elevated Dishes to Cook at Home," about his best tips for this cold weather dish. Ryle advises us to use that layer of caramelized meat stuck to the bottom of your pan to your advantage - and that means always deglazing the pan!

"Look for red wines that have lower tannin and brighter acidity," Henderson advises. "Wine is used in cooking for flavor. But it's big advantage is natural acidity which tenderizes foods and keeps them moist." That alcoholic bite cooks off but, says Henderson, it "helps the flavor molecules of the other ingredients open up." Wine delivers an underlying richness to a red pasta sauce, for example, while also enhancing the flavors of the tomatoes, herbs, and aromatics.

"In hot and sweaty Barcelona, we serve all our reds at between 11C and 12C, which is definitely too cold for super-tannic bangers, but better to be too cold than too hot."