BOOZY FOODS

Licking the plate is not recommended

By LINDSAY CRUDELE

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Liquor has a way of smoothing rough edges and refining perception, a rule that stands as firmly in the kitchen as it teeters on a barstool. Whether it be port or pastis, these chefs know how to use alcohol to seduce new dimensions from their dishes.

Sibling Rivalry

Crispy pressed half duck with grilled bacon-wrapped stuffed Seckel pears, port sauce and watercress salad, $26

As one half of the chef team at Sibling Rivalry, David Kinkead names this entrée as one of the most popular presentations of late. "The sauce makes the dish, and port wine makes the sauce," he says. Sweet, overripe grape flavor dominates the plate, just like a warm apple tone would emerge from a calvados reduction. Kinkead also supplements curries and marinades with sake. "When you cook with alcohol, you cook to cook the alcohol out, so what you're left with is what the original flavors might have been," he says. "If you cook with Grand Marnier, you flame the alcohol out, reduce it down and end up with a nice background of orange." But the trick of boozing up a recipe relies on introducing the alcohol-and then removing it: "Depending on what dish you're using it in, it makes a lot of sense for enriching the flavors of stocks and sauces. Rarely does anybody who cooks well use raw alcohol to finish a sauce or soup-it's always cooked out."

[525 Tremont St., South End, Boston. 617.338.5338. siblingrivalryboston.com]

Aquitaine

Bouillabaisse Parisienne with monkfish, mussels, shrimp and Pernod, $26

Chef Robert Morotto of the South End points to Pernod as the turning point in his Saturday special Bouillabaisse. The anise-flavored liqueur adds acidity, freshness and a clean, herbal finish to his light fish stock made with fennel, celery and onions. Red pepper adds dimension to the stew's monkfish, mussels, shrimp and squid. "There are scientific reasons for using alcohol in a dish," Morotto explains. "When you start a dish like this, you have a big pan; as you start to sear the vegetables and meat that go in this dish, the alcohol deglazes the pan. It helps to release that roasted-on flavor back into the liquid." Ultimately, he'll want to reduce the liquid by half or two-thirds.

[569 Tremont St., South End, Boston. 617.424.8577. aquitaineboston.com]

Taberna de Haro

Frogs' legs with brandy, $13

A splash of brandy near the end finishes the frogs' legs tapas plate at Taberna de Haro. "For me, cooking with alcohol intensifies everything," says chef/owner Deborah Hansen. "It gives it another facet and caramelizes it because there's always sugar, which makes for a nice browned edge." Hansen says that one of her most recent successes included a special of Basque tuna called marmitako: an albacore tuna dish with braised tomato, peppers, onions and vermouth. Additionally, she splashes her fried chicken and garlic with brandy, and douses almejas con jamón's clams, garlic and olive oil in crisp white wine and hot pepper.

[999 Beacon St., Brookline. 617.277.8272]

UpStairs on the Square

Rosemary and juniper-brined Berkshire pork chop with sour red cabbage, Madeira quince condiment and ice wine mignonette, $36

For chef Steven Brand of UpStairs on the Square, there's often more truth in wine's (or liqueur's) concentration of flavor than in the actual fruits or herbs of their origins. "Alcohol, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau, is a great way to get a flavor into something without using oranges; Pastis has more fennel flavor per gram than fennel," says Brand. "I'm always looking to enhance natural flavors." For example, instead of a more traditional incorporation of pesto or tapenade to enhance the flavors in his cooking, he'll add pastis to mussels to spike the anise flavor in the broth. "You can do that instead of adding a whole bunch of vegetables, which might not even end up with that concentrated of a flavor." Right now in his main dining room, Brand serves two dishes laced with Portuguese wine: scallops in porcini marmalade with red wine, port and red wine vinegar ($32), and the Berkshire pork chop above. The Madeira adds a sticky, concentrated caramel flavor that Brand says takes the dish beyond the taste of simply mushroom and sugar. "That works," he says, "for someone who's as flavor-conscious as me."

[91 Winthrop St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 617.864.1933. upstairsonthesquare.com]

Troquet

Roasted venison saddle with green peppercorns, Armagnac and braised root vegetables, $38

Joining the menu for the late fall and winter season, this venison dish is the creation of chef/owner Scott Hebert. A poivrade sauce takes on the oaky flavors of Armagnac. Hebert also uses quite a bit of red wine in his other sauces: the quality of cooking wine is not restrained when it comes to his vino-centric bordelaise. "I use a sturdy, jammy, good-quality wine for that," says Hebert. He's been swapping Bordeaux for Syrah, which he says stands up to the reduction a bit better. However, a chef can relax a bit more with a braised meat dish and use a lesser bottle, when the flavors of the meat take the foreground.

[140 Boylston St., Theater District, Boston. 617.695.9463. troquetboston.com]