Apart from preparing mojitos and other drinks, rum is a spirit that is often used in cooking, particularly aged and black rum for powerful tastes in meals like beef and pig stews. White or light rums, on the other hand, are generally used to prepare fish or poultry.
During cooking, the alcohol in rum burns out, leaving a rich taste in the food. After the evaporation of the alcohol, the residual fragrance and essence are allowed to permeate into the broth, sauce, or dish.
What can you make using rum? Rum may be used in a variety of culinary methods, including sautéing, deglazing, and producing a flavor basis in sauces and soups.
Aged rum aids in the marinating of pig or poultry, and the addition of extra spices and herbs enhances the taste of the rum infusion.
Using rum, you may make delicious Caribbean meals with tropical fruits and glazes, banana foster, tiramisu, and baking with dark and spiced rum.
Serving rum instead of your usual drink routine is a fantastic approach to liven up a dinner. Rum has a long history in Caribbean and South American cuisine, and it tastes like sunlight and summer on a plate!
Yet, it might be difficult to know exactly how much rum to use while cooking. Should it be used as a marinade or in a soup? Is it best utilized as a dessert ingredient? Here are some ideas for using rum to spice up your meals.
Contents
Can I use rum for cooking?
Sure, rum may be used in the kitchen. It is recommended to use a black rum that has been matured in charred oak barrels for at least three years to ensure that the desired tastes are imparted.
The alcohol burns out while cooking, leaving behind the black rum’s molasses and caramel aromas. It also imparts an amber hue to the meal.
The level of taste in rum, however, varies depending on the variety and age time. Mild rums may be used in place of this sort of black rum in recipes, but they aren’t as tasty.
What does rum do in cooking?
Rum’s inherent sweetness and caramel-like qualities make it an excellent complement to both sweet and savory recipes. It’s also used to glaze meats, poultry, and shellfish, as well as to make marinades and thicken gravy.
Rum improves the tastes, adds sweetness, and lends a touch of refinement to any home-cooked dish. Although rum may be used as an ingredient in many recipes, the ideal method to utilize it in cooking is to include it into the process.
It’s also delicious in sweets like cakes and pies. This famous Caribbean liquor will offer a unique taste that will spice up your meals.
Best rum to cook with
In general, aged and black rums are the finest choices for cooking meals with strong-flavored meat. The rum used for sautéed or stewed chicken or veggies is a key consideration.
The following rums are excellent for cooking:
- Dark rums are aged in wood barrels and are ideal for flavorful recipes. Gold rums are mellower, yet they nevertheless provide a great depth of flavor to cuisine.
- Spiced rum: Filled with cloves, cinnamon, and even vanilla, these rums should be utilized in desserts, particularly if vanilla essence is called for. It’s also great in Asian meals like curries.
- Overproof rums are distilled at a greater proof than other rum varieties, often ranging from 50% to 75% ABV or more! They are excellent for flambéing or giving a spice to sweets.
- Flavored rums have a wide variety of culinary applications: the classic tastes include coconut, mango, and pineapple, but there’s always a way to add a fruity twist to a meal.
What flavor cooks well with rum?
White rum pairs well with light tastes like as coconut, citrus fruits, and vanilla. Dark rum has a stronger molasses or caramel taste that complements chocolate, coffee, and butterscotch.
Rum, regardless of hue, will lend sweetness to any meal. Rum is often used in sweet meals such as cakes and pastries, but it is also utilized in savory recipes.
These are some traditional taste combinations that chefs like using with rum:
- Rum combined with chicken, teriyaki sauce, and pineapple
- shrimp + rum + coconut milk + brown sugar + lime juice
- Rum, pork, brown sugar, and cinnamon
- Rum, brioche bread, butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar
Cooking with Rum: Conclusion
Rum complements a wide range of meals, both sweet and savory. Its adaptability makes it the ideal spirit for infusing a wide range of delectable tastes.
In the kitchen, rum may be used directly in a dish, sauce, or glaze. While cooking, use high-quality rum for more strong and nuanced tastes that will take a meal from normal to excellent!
There are several culinary methods that may be utilized with rum, including glazing, sauce, marinating, sautéing, stewing, and souping.
By adding rum, the alcohol evaporates, leaving the dish with a deep, rich, sweet, and smokey taste. To make the food more appealing, add herbs and spices.
Dark and aged rum is ideal for savory Caribbean food or sweet sweets. Next time you’re in the kitchen, use this guide full of flavor combinations and ingredients to try cooking your favorite foods with rum.
FAQs
What do you use rum for in cooking?
Rum is used in rum cakes, bananas foster, bread pudding, and a variety of other delectable treats. You may also prepare a rum sauce to add to any other meal, or you can produce your own rum-based vanilla extract. Rum complements sweet meals so beautifully. These are a few rum-based dessert recipes.
Is rum OK to be used in cooking?
White and black rum may both be used in glazes and marinades for meats and vegetables. It’s often coupled with fruits like pineapple in tropical and Caribbean recipes.
What foods go well with rum?
The greatest rum snacks generally have a toasted crunch to them or include a mix of components such as dried fruits, nuts, chocolate, or cheese. Rum adores the blend of sweet and savory flavors with a dash of spiciness.
What does rum do to meat?
Alcohol tenderizes meat by breaking down a protein called collagen, which is the component of the flesh that maintains it structurally sound. The more collagen there is in the meat, the harder it will be. As you cook meat, the heat both breaks down the collagen and dries it out.
Does rum burn off when cooked?
Sorry to ruin the fun, but boiling alcohol, or any other cooking liquid, does not cause it to vanish as rapidly as a child’s allowance at a candy shop. The longer you cook, the more alcohol cooks out, but it takes around 3 hours to completely remove all traces of alcohol from food.
What does adding rum to food do?
Enhance Your Flavor
Using alcoholic drinks in cooking, whether beer, sake, rum, or Cabernet, may increase taste. It may also be used to tenderize meat in marinades or to concentrate flavor in sauces when cooked down.
Is rum drunk on its own?
It looks great on the rocks or with a splash of water.
Whiskey (or Whisky) isn’t the only liquor that can be enjoyed neat. A fine Dark or Aged Rum may be sipped neat, on the rocks, or with water.
What cheese goes best with rum?
Since rum is sweet and distilled with sugar, it works nicely with sweeter cheeses as well as cheeses that are generally served with sweet sauces. Hard, matured cheeses such as Gouda, Havarti, and even blue cheese are examples of this.
What is best to mix with white rum?
White rum serves as the base for a variety of fruity drinks. It goes well with a basic mojito with lime and mint, a daiquiri with fresh, ripe strawberries, or a pia colada with pureed pineapple and coconut.
