Vin Santo for recipe, or far cheaper Madeira, Port

[afn33282]

Hi--

Trying to make a recipe for which vin santo is recommended, substitutions suggested are madeira or port (no specifics on style for either). I found basic info on vin santo, but nothing that helps my friend and I decide whether to go with the much-higher priced vin santo, or say, my shop's recommended Bual Madeira. Would somebody help me get up to speed on the serious specifics in re vin santo, both for drinking and cooking purposes, at least as far as this recipe is concerned? The vs runs about $40...

Thanks so much, egulleteers, in advance. All comments welcome.

Recipe:

Crostini with Tuscan Chicken Livers

1# free-range chicken livers

1 cup milk

zest of one orange

2 T. Ex. Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 finely chopped onion

1 T. chopped sage

1 clove garlic finely chopped

1 T. finely chopped peeled ginger

Kosher/sea salt, pepper to taste

1/4 Vin Santo, Madeira, or Port

1/4 c. heavy cream

~12 sliced toasted country bread

*

Trim livers of veins and fat; rinse in cold water. Cover with milk in bowl and refridgerate six hours.

Zest orange.

Wilt onions in hot oil over med-high; add sage, orange zest, garlic and ginger.

Cook 1-2 min. until garlic and ginger are fragrant; drain livers and add to pan. Discard milk.k

Add salt and pepper; cook about four minutes; make sure to brown livers on all sides.

Deglaze pan with vin santo and cook two more minutes; liver should still be pink on inside. Add cream.

Transfer to food processor; pulse ingredients to a medium-smooth puree.

?Correct seasonings? (I get the concept, but how am I supposed to do this, exactly? This concept always drives me a bit nuts. If they mean add more salt and/or pepper, if needed, can do. Otherwise, the specifics escape my intuition...or limited experience ).

Thanks again.

[Adam Balic]

Vin Santo doesn't resemble either Port or madeira(s) much in flavour, but for a substitute I would go for the former. Some people use dry white wine.

I have to say that the recipe doesn't resemble any crostini toscana I am familiar with, especially the fresh ginger, cream and orange zest.

[kalypso]

Hi--

Trying to make a recipe for which vin santo is recommended, substitutions suggested are madeira or port (no specifics on style for either).  I found basic info on vin santo, ?Correct seasonings?  (I get the concept, but how am I supposed to do this, exactly?  This concept always drives me a bit nuts.  If they mean add more salt and/or pepper, if needed, can do.  Otherwise, the specifics escape my intuition...or limited experience    ).

Thanks again. 

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I think the purpose of the Vin Santo is to add some sweetness to the livers. There is a lightnes to Vin Santo that I'm not sure either Port or Madeira have. If you decide to use Port I think I'd opt for Tawny Port over Ruby Port, as I think it might be more in the spirit of Vin Santo than would the Ruby Port. I like your recipe tho'. I happen to have an open bottle of Vin Santo and was casting about for a good recipe in which to use it. This sounds like it might do the trick.

As for the term correct seasonings, yes, you are on the right track. I have always understood it to mean that you taste the dish near completion to see if the level of seasoning is satisfactory to your palate. You're looking for the overall balance of flavors in the dish. Since salt is a flavor enhancer for many things usually you're just dealing with salt but not always.

Correct the seasonings is when you taste something you're preparing and your mouth (and brain) say "hmmm....needs something else". The something else are the seasonings you use to make it taste the way you want it. In the crostini recipe you posted, salt is probably the key seasoning but since it also contains garlic, ginger, orange peel and sweet wine, if you think it needs something else, you might also want to consider adding a little more garlic, or a little more sweet, or a little more heat. Generally if a recipe says correct seasonings it's more of a small tweak than a major adjustment. If the recipe is structurally sound to begin with any corrections should be minor.

[GordonCooks]

use a Royal Tokaji in place of the Vin Santo. You can find good ones for 10-15 a half bottle (although you can find cheap Vin Santo's for about the same price) Maybe a Domestic Ice Wine (not a Canadian) as they are not frozen on the vine and a third of the price.

[Adam Balic]

I forgot to add that, what ever you do, don't use cheap vin santo as it is nasty shite.

Chicken livers should be sweet enough without the need for the sweet wine. As many Tuscan recipes actually use dry white wine, sweet wine isn't "a must". The Vin Santo is most likely added for a little bit of complexity in flavour, so I would still stick to a light madeira.

[Macarons&Mozart]

I'll second the recommendations of Hungarian Tokaji wine. It should work well.

[maher]

tokaji sounds like a decent substitute. i would also suggest a white port if you are going to use port at all. If you have a light fino sherry that might work as well. A very light tawny might be ok, but ruby ports will overwhelm the taste, as would madiera.

[GordonCooks]

I forgot to add that, what ever you do, don't use cheap vin santo as it is nasty shite.

Chicken livers should be sweet enough without the need for the sweet wine. As many Tuscan recipes actually use dry white wine, sweet wine isn't "a must". The Vin Santo is most likely added for a little bit of complexity in flavour, so I would still stick to a light madeira.

←

You're about the Vin Santo - last time I purchased some was 10 years ago at 18.00 a bottle. Thinking Moscato or Moscadello di Montalcino

Edited July 10, 2007 by GordonCooks (log)

[Adam Balic]

I seem to be in a minority here, but I think that any wine which is heavily botrytised element would be wrong for this dish. Botrytised with poultry liver pate, great, excellent can't get enough of it, but Crostini Toscana (or Crostini di Fegato) which is what this recipe is trying to be I think wouldn't work very well at all. To be honest I think that the recipe is such a deviation from any Tuscan Crostini di Fegato recipe that I have come across, that the addition of vin santo or replacement wines seems a little odd. Actually, I don't think that any wine is necessary to the recipe.