We all know how perfectly El Ciruelo grapes match with other products, whether sweet or salty, but…. did you know that these grapes can also be drunk with wine and taste delicious? 

White wine, as well as red wine, are good allies when it comes to cooking. However, if white wine is not available, you can find different alternatives that have a similar effect on your recipes.

Here you have a few alternatives to white wine for cooking:

1. Apple cider vinegar. It has essentially a slightly similar profile compared to white wine, although it is slightly more acidic. However, this vinegar is very useful for adding some depth to many recipes. Usually, adding some water to reduce its acidity is advised to compensate for its higher acidity.

2. White wine vinegar. Being a by-product of conventional white wine, is also very useful. It has many parallels compared to fermented grape vinegar, although without the presence of alcohol. As in the previous point, its acidity tends to be higher, which is why it can be diluted with a bit of water.

3. Apple juice. It is ideal if you are replacing a very sweet wine. It is important not to forget that, not having the complexity of the wine, apple juice is not rich in acidity. So, if you want to add some acidity, you’ll have to squirt lemon juice or spill a bit of ordinary vinegar and  combine your choice with the apple juice. Here goes the tip: it is better to use apple juice for light sauces than for elaborate dishes.

4. El Ciruelo white grape juice. Essentially an unfermented version of white wine. Similar to apple juice, it is sweet, but not almost acidic. It’s also a good idea to add some lemon juice or vinegar to compensate and get good results.

5. Ginger ale. Of course, it tastes completely different from wine, but it is a component with sweet and acid flavours, which makes it an option to consider. In this case, you have to consider that it brings a lot of ginger flavour, thus you should think about which type of dishes you will use it in.

We have added seafood to the recipe to create some fresh and delicious pinchos, which are ideal as a snack and very easy to do.

Ingredients:

El Ciruelo white seedless grapes: 12 grapes

White wine: 1 bottle

Prawns: 1 dozen

Herbes de Provence (or a basil, thyme, lavender etc. mix): 1 tbsp 

Let ‘s do it!

1st) Place the El Ciruelo white grapes in a bowl and cover them with the wine. Let it rest in the fridge between two hours and three days. It is up to you.

2nd) In a saucepan, add one or two cups of the remaining wine, the herbs and the water.

3rd) Bring to the boil then reduce to a low heat. Add the prawns and poach (below boiling point) for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and cool.

4th) Peel the prawns and arrange them with a grape on an appetizer stick or skewer.

5th) Serve cold or at room temperature.

 

Share with us how great your recipe looks on our social networks @elciruelofruits or @doceuva_br!