Suggestions to use up Brandy?

[soypower]

Had a few friends over for drinks so i hit the liquor store and picked up too many bottles of everything...i'll eventually drink the vodkas and gin that i bought, but i'm not a huge lover of brandy...any suggestions for recipes with brandy? i was thinking along the lines of brandy cake, brandy cookies...but honestly, i'm not a big sweets eater, so any savory ideas would be much appreciated as well. Thanks!

[Louise]

On the mushrooms theme, when I'm using them in risotto I deglaze with a little brandy after sauteeing and before adding rice.

[alkapal]

it's been over a year. are ya done with the brandy?

[scubadoo97]

Unlike wine brandy will keep very well after opening so don't feel like you have to use it up quickly

[sarah galvin]

Soon you will be buying more brandy, soypower!

[don515]

Sangria
I think peach is key canned will do in a pinch
-1 sliced somewhat firm peach/nectarine
-granny smith apple sliced
-1 orange sliced (save thee ends)
put above in your pitcher add
-1 cup brandy
-1/4 cup triple sec
-2 tbs sugar (optional)
mix and let stand for 30 min or so if you can
add bottle wine red or white
squezze orange ends into the mix and add an heathly splash of oz

dc

[LindaWhit]

Whereas I only use the oranges - to me, a peach or apple would get too soft soaking in the liquid. Here's the recipe I use, adapted from a local Spanish restaurant I frequent.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Dali's Sangria

Recipe By :adapted by Linda
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Drinks

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 bottles Spanish rioja wine
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brandy
1 oz Triple Sec
2 cups orange juice
2 oranges -- cut into eighths
and each eighth cut in half
1 liter club soda -- or less

Make this in a big container and mix well to dissolve the sugar. (Wait until about an hour before serving to add the club soda.) You can refrigerate it probably up to a week, pouring over ice to serve. Dali usually tops the small and large pitchers off with another sploosh of red wine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From an interview with the owner of Dali Restaurant:

The fruit and brandy are combined with sugar and orange juice and allowed to sit for at the least 24 hours for the flavors to mellow. ''It's important to let it stand,'' Iriarte says.

His sangria has a fuller, sweeter flavor than red wine sangrias made without the orange brandy. And lacking citrus fruits, the drink is less tart than other variations. The intense sweetness is lightened with a splash of sparkling water, which should be added after the sangria has been poured over ice, immediately before serving. ''To bring alive the dormant juices,'' according to Iriarte.

A few lessons learned during testing: when making the red wine sangria, use a bottle of red wine (as Dali's Iriarte does) but if the mixture seems excessively sweet, add another half bottle or so, and let it rest another 24 hours.

[pikawicca]

Buy a big glass jar of rock candy. Cram in as many sliced oranges and lemons as possible. Fill with brandy and stick it under the bed or in the back of a closet for a few months. You will end up with a lovely, syrupy cough medicine that works better than anything from the drugstore. Tastes a lot better, too!

[LindaWhit]

I wanna be sick at your house, pikawicca. <vbg>

[Ruth Lafler]

Obviously we're on the same wavelength, pikawicca (see my post, above)! Your version of the brandy cough medicine sounds good, too.

[NYCkaren]

All the suggestions sound good. I'm particularly a fan of sangria. And the other thing is, you have plenty of time to use it up. It's not going to go bad any time soon.

[Ruth Lafler]

Exactly what I was thinking -- your brandy will keep for approximately forever, so don't worry about using it up. It is one of the ingredients often added to cream sauces, so you could probably use it to punch up a lot of recipes.

Since it's winter, I'll tell you that most of my brandy get consumed *cough* medicinally *cough* -- one part brandy, one part hot water, lemon juice and honey to taste makes an excellent cough remedy. Even my doctor approved it, pointing out that alcohol is a natural cough suppressant (most cough syrup has about the same percentage alcohol as brandy!), and that various components of that mixuture soothe the throat and/or help break up mucuous. And it's a lot better for you than commercial cough syrups (not to mention less expensive, especially if you already have brandy you're trying to use up). When I have a bad cold I keep a small glass of brandy by the bed, because a couple of sips will stop those midnight coughing fits dead in their tracks, not to mention help me sleep!

[mschow]

Wild mushroom bisque with brandy.

[Kelli2006]

I degalze the pan with brandy when I make onion soup.

[coll]

It's great to splash in clam chowder when serving, especially Manhattan.

[LindaWhit]

Red sangria will use it up a bit at a time. Or it can be used as a marinade ingredient for chicken - mix up the following and let chicken marinate for 4 hours or so, then grill.

1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. molasses
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger root -- grated
1/4 cup dry white wine

[fern]

oh boy, this sounds good. i'm hoping to cook on the grill before the kids go back to college and this looks like a great recipe for us to try.

[fern]

brandy, cream,and tomato sauce for pasta and/or seafood.

[don515]

of course add brandy to the beans.....

[don515]

Drink a bottle of grolsch beer with the snap cap. Clean it out put in 6-8 split vanilla beans and put it in a dark place for 6 weeks shaking occasionally. Strain into another bottle. Now you have real extract.

Or you could just use the brandy in Sangria :)

dc

[geminigirl]

not sure where you live but if there are really nice cherries or berries you could let them soak for a few months in the brandy?

[soypower]

great idea..i live in seattle though so fruit is a little scary this time of year...but i think i've seen some nice cherries at whole foods...

[coll]

I just put figs in brandy, figured the liquid would be good for cooking later too.

[Elaine08]

I have a fig tree and am desperate to preserve what the parrots have left me. I really want a recipe for brandied figs, but am no cook so need fairly explicit instructions. Time is of the essence as the figs are ripe now and won't keep. Can you help?

[geminigirl]

sorry, all I can suggest is sending me directions to your house so I can come and gorge myself on fresh figs, can you tell I am jealous....try checking out the spirits board or posting this over there, you might have better luck. I would think a gentle rinse and into the bottle with brandy poured over them would work. You could always just try a small bottle this year and see how you like them...

[pamplemousse]

Is it possible to brandy dried figs, or only fresh? I, too, have a surfeit of brandy that I've got to get rid of before moving. I love brandied figs, but all the recipes I've managed to find use fresh fruit. Any ideas?

[Elaine08]

Want to send me a recipe for brandied FRESH figs? I've been searching but no luck so far. Is brandy enough or should one include sugar?

[MobyRichard]

http://www.knitlist.com/96gift/gfigs.htm

[Johnnyquest]

Hi Elaine, I would just use Google. This is what I found, sounds easy enough but time consuming! There were more....

Make heavy syrup - 1 pound sugar, 1 pint water

1. Leave small stalk on figs and wipe fruit.

2. Place in syrup and boil for 1 hour on FIRST day.

3. Leave overnight, covered with a plate to submerge fruit.

4. SECOND and THIRD days, boil for one half to three quarters of an hour. Submerge with plate again after SECOND day's cooking.

5. After THIRD day's cooking place fruit into sterilized jars three quarters filled with syrup. Top up with brandy, cover tightly and turn upside down once to mix syrup and brandy. (This can be tricky if the lid doesn't fit well. Just ask me!)

6. Stand for 2-3 weeks before eating. Delicious served over ice cream. Keeps for ages unopened. Gets eaten quickly once opened.

[abe stein]

a nice thick steak pan seared in olive oil is what I would do. when steak is done deglaze the pan with a big dose of the brandy and throw in a handful of your favorite
mushrooms and let them meld together. once they're done the steak will be rested well enough to be smothered in your hearty brandy-mushroom gravy. happy holidays
and don't forget the cayenne and black pepper.

[soypower]

wow. sounds amazing! i don't usually like any kind of sauce on my steak, but you just mentioned of my favorite things -- mushrooms...now i know what to do w/ the ribeyes i have in the fridge! thanks~

[BobB]

Add a little heavy cream to that and it's perfection!

[MikeG]

Even if you don't feel like dealing with mushrooms (or onions are good too), just deglazing with brandy and letting it reduce is very nice too. If you happen to have over-bought Irish whiskey, that's really good too (but not Scotch, reduced "peat" is pretty gross.)

[alkapal]

i am ALL OVER this 'shrooms subthread!!!!! must use at least some of that brandy with beef and the mushroom sauce. comfort food, de luxe!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_29207,00.html (filet with brandy mushroom sauce

)

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art49223.asp (steak diane

)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Brandy-Flamed-Peppercorn-Steak/Detail.aspx brandy flamed peppercorn steak

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1627,149166-228201,00.html mignonettes of veal with creamy peppercorn sauce --- use brandy instead of madeira.

to finish: bread pudding with brandy sauce. http://www.virtualcities.com/ons/tx/s...

now, get cookin'!

[Plano Rose]

The brandy mushroom sauce from your first link makes wonderful hamburgers. Charcoal burgers. Toast buns. Smear mayonnaise on bun. Add meat. Top with warm sauce. Delicious.

[alkapal]

piano rose, how bizarre that my latest post was exactly one year after my initial post. (i'd even forgotten i was in on the thread ;-). this reminds me that i need to make some sauce for a couple of filets mignon i have to cook.