As we learned last week, bitters are to cocktails are salt is to cooking. This got me thinking, how do you cook with bitters? What can bitters be used for? I know some claim bitters help relieve a hangover or a cure for hiccups (as my mother reminded me) but what can they do for your cooking and baking?
So, I sat down in front of my trusty laptop and started doing some research. The first and simplest thing I discovered was a few dashes of your favorite herbal or citrus bitter can take sparkling water from boring to WOW. This tip makes sense, and it is similar to a cocktail, but what about adding bitters to your coffee or hot cocoa? If you add a dash or two of a nut or savory bitter, you can create a delicious mocha without the calories. A chili pepper bitter will create a quick Mexican hot chocolate.
These are simple ways to use bitters, but wait, there is more. Bitters can be used in everything from sauces and marinades to cookies and cakes. Here are a few rules I discovered while researching this article.
1. Marinades – Bitters not only add flavor to your dish but also help tenderize the meat. The basic rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of bitters to 1 cup of marinade. You can always experiment until you get it just right for you.
2. Homemade Sauces – Just a few dashes in your ketchup or barbecue sauce will add depth and dimension.
3. Salad Dressings – Citrus or herbal bitters make a vinaigrette sing!
4. Caramel Sauce – This is not something I make, but I like the idea of adding a dash or two of an orange or lemon based bitter to provide a little zing or a chocolate or nut bitter to create a warm depth in the sauce.
5. Simple Syrup – if you make your own simple syrup, add some citrus or floral bitters and you have just created a fruit salad dressing.
6. Cookies and Cakes (or baking in general) - Change things up by replacing the vanilla or other extract with a citrus or nut bitter.
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup refined white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon nut or coffee bitters
1 egg
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together dry ingredients, add butter, egg, and bitters, and then stir in chocolate chips. Roll into one-inch balls and place on a nonstick baking sheet about 2 to 3 inches apart. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
STEAK (OR CHICKEN!) MARINADE
Ingredients:
2 ounces bourbon
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon aromatic bitters
1 tablespoon cherry preserves
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce
Directions:
Mix ingredients and soak your favorite steak (or chicken) for three hours, or overnight, in the refrigerator.