Whether you served bubbly at a big holiday party or a simple private celebration for two, one of the common after-effects is leftover Champagne. Because it goes flat so quickly, it can't be recorked and saved for later use -- so most people end up tossing it down the sink. Flat Champagne makes an excellent ingredient in many basic recipes, though, so think twice before discarding it. Here are several ways that you can help keep leftover Champagne from going to waste:
Honey, Lemon, and Champagne Glaze
This is great for drizzling over ripe, freshly picked summer berries, ice cream, or even in place of syrup on French toast and pancakes. It's also excellent with baked apples or pears. Here's how to make it:
- 1 cup of flat Champagne
- 1 squeeze of a large, fresh lemon
- 3 T raw honey
- 1 splash of organic vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix all ingredients together and bring just to a boil. Set the burner on low and simmer until the mixture is reduced by one half. It can be used immediately or refrigerated for later use. It may thicken significantly under refrigeration, but 30 seconds in the microwave will thin it down enough to use.
Carrot and Lentil Soup with Champagne and Lemon
This is a light summer soup that makes a great evening meal to serve on the porch or patio. It's best complemented by a fresh fruit salad and just-baked French bread. You'll need:
- 1 quart organic vegetable broth
- 1 cup flat Champagne
- 1 cup dried lentils
- 1 cup sliced raw carrots
- 2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic
- 1/4 cup minced sweet onion
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Mix everything together in a small stock pot or large, heavy-bottomed sauce pan, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 45 minutes to one hour.
Champagne Bread
You can add Champagne in place of water in almost any yeast bread recipe to give it a sweet tang. Here's a good one to try:
- 3 cups bread flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 T honey
- 3 T butter at room temperature
- 2 /12 cups flat Champagne
Lightly grease a 9 by 5 loaf pan with olive or grape seed oil and turn the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl and slowly add the Champagne and butter. Stir with a spatula until ingredients are mixed together, pour into the loaf pan, and place in the oven. Bake for 40–45 minutes or until golden brown.
This makes an excellent French toast bread and can also be used for sandwiches or for serving with soup. You can also make croutons out of it that go very well with the soup described above.
Basic Champagne Sauce
This is excellent when spooned over grilled chicken or fish, and it's very easy to prepare:
- 1/2 cup room temperature butter
- 4 teaspoons grape seed oil
- 2 cups flat Champagne
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Combine the butter and olive oil in a large skillet and slowly add the Champagne. Blend with a whisk and then add the cream. Never allow this to get to the boiling point -- keep it on a steady, medium simmer until it's reduced by one third -- this generally takes about half an hour. You can add fresh sliced mushrooms during the last five minutes or so for an elegant chicken and mushroom dinner.
There are many other ways to use flat Champagne in food preparation. For a fast, sophisticated dessert, simply replace the water in a box of white cake mix with flat Champagne and make a quick buttercream frosting -- you can even use some of the flat champagne in the frosting to give it an added sparkle. If you can't use the flat champagne right away, your local wine accessories retailer can recommend something to store it in until you have the chance to cook with it at http://www.bellavitabags.com/.
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