If you thought you knew all there was to know about cooking, Brooklyn Beckham’s recent tutorial may have given you food for thought (ahem). The chef could be seen making a bolognese sauce with a wine cork in the pot.
It’s fairly common to add wine to sauces, but the cork?!
As it turns out, using a cork during the cooking process is something that dates back centuries. The tradition has its roots in Portugal and Italy where corks would be added to dishes to make them even better. Here’s how.
Turn Down the Heat
Cork can work as a natural heat diffuser. If you’re cooking something that has a tendency to burn or stick to the bottom of the pan, placing a cork in the bottom of the pot can help distribute the heat more evenly.
Suck It Up
Mediterranean grandmothers used to add cork when cooking octopus as it helped to break down the seafood’s enzymes and make it more tender. How? By absorbing moisture. As the cork heats up, it releases steam, which can help prevent your dish from becoming too watery.
Seeing the Wood for the Trees
Adding in a cork while cooking provides a whole new dimension of flavor. The cork offers a woodiness that pairs excellently with earthy flavors like mushrooms.
