Sherry in cooking: the application technique

Andalusia, Spain

Sherry is the great secret of Spanish professional cooking — added to sofrito bases, used to deglaze pans, splashed into shellfish, reduced into sauces, and used to macerate fruit and game. The technique is different depending on the style: fino adds salinity and yeast character to shellfish and fish; amontillado adds nuttiness and depth to game and mushroom; oloroso adds weight and dark fruit to beef and lamb; PX adds caramelised sweetness to desserts and dark meat reductions. The key is to add sherry at a point where it can reduce — not at the end as a splash. Fino goes into clams and mussels and is reduced by half before the shellfish open. Oloroso goes into the pan after browning meat, reduces, and the fond is incorporated.