red wine

hobbitfancier

I always use a tablespoon or two of cocoa powder in my veggie chilli, maybe substitute it with something else, tomato puree and soy sauce? Stock if the recipe doesn't call for it. Seems a bit extravagant to put red wine in such a simple and cheap recipe.

Sambucus_Nigra

Defeats the object of cooking if you can't substitute or leave stuff out - the recipe isn't the law!

Just add some stock. And cocoa with some cumin - makes a huge difference to the taste.

camNolliesMUMMY

I've never put it in mine but sometimes at a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce and in my spag Bol.

Callie22

I put wine, beer or lager in my chilli, depending what I've got in the house. If I do use wine, then I tend to either buy a cheap bottle and freeze the rest in portions, or buy one of those little bottles of 'cooking wine' which are about £1-ish. Or, if I know I'm making for someone who doesn't drink at all then I'll just leave it out and use more stock at the end. I have also added a little bit of red wine vinegar on occasion, but you do have to be careful not to add too much of this and again, I wouldn't buy it specially. Having said that though I have tried my chilli both with and without the booze and I do prefer it with

I also agree with the poster who said add some chocolate - either cocoa powder or plain chocolate will make a huge difference. I got given some of the Willie's 'chef's drops' for Christmas and they're lovely, and really nice in chilli. I also add a little bit of instant coffee to mine (usually espresso powder), you don't taste the coffee (or you shouldn't lol) but it adds an extra dimension of flavour that really lifts it. Smoked paprika is another 'must' for me too.

Pee

I have never used red wine when making chilli.

You can get a bottle from Aldi for £2.99, I think, and the white version tastes fine. They say never cook with anything you wouldn't drink i.e. if it was stale, but I would drink that therefore I would cook with it.

That said even at that price it would be better to leave it out.

I would look for another receipe. Try the good food website. I've never seen it in a recipe so you would be really unlucky if the first three recipes you found had it in.

I do like sour cream with chilli and/ or fresh coriander.

winniepooh

Thanks everyone

nickyhutch

Callie22 wrote: »

I put wine, beer or lager in my chilli, depending what I've got in the house. If I do use wine, then I tend to either buy a cheap bottle and freeze the rest in portions, or buy one of those little bottles of 'cooking wine' which are about £1-ish. Or, if I know I'm making for someone who doesn't drink at all then I'll just leave it out and use more stock at the end. I have also added a little bit of red wine vinegar on occasion, but you do have to be careful not to add too much of this and again, I wouldn't buy it specially. Having said that though I have tried my chilli both with and without the booze and I do prefer it with

I also agree with the poster who said add some chocolate - either cocoa powder or plain chocolate will make a huge difference. I got given some of the Willie's 'chef's drops' for Christmas and they're lovely, and really nice in chilli. I also add a little bit of instant coffee to mine (usually espresso powder), you don't taste the coffee (or you shouldn't lol) but it adds an extra dimension of flavour that really lifts it. Smoked paprika is another 'must' for me too.

Why would you leave it out? The alcohol burns off in cooking.

shammyjack

nickyhutch wrote: »

Why would you leave it out? The alcohol burns off in cooking.

That is sacrilege !

Don't add booze , drink it with it . Tequila works well !

Swan_2

Linda32 wrote: »

Hi,

I don't make chille as I don't like red kidney beans However, I oftern leave certain things out of recipes if I havn't got something or wouldn't use most of the item and its always fine. The red wine wouldn't be a problem in this house though

You can usually guess whats okay to leave out, as Thriftlady (used to post here) once said, 'you can't leave strawberries out of a strawberry pavalova and expect to get strawberry pavalova' or something along those lines. But a chilli will still be a chilli as long as you don't leave out the chilli bit I'm sure you get the idea.

I don't like them either, but I love chilli & apart from my first couple of tries have always made it with pinto beans, they're so much nicer, give them a try

oh & a lot of American recipes for chilli have no beans at all

Callie22

nickyhutch wrote: »

Why would you leave it out? The alcohol burns off in cooking.

The person I was thinking of won't eat anything with alcohol in it, as they insist that it doesn't burn off. I've been through this so many times with them but tbh, it's not worth the argument ... It's enough to drive you to drink