Over 70 recipes that showcase delicious ways of cooking with wine—the magic ingredient.

Author Fiona Beckett is the Guardian’s wine writer. She is also a cookery writer and a contributing editor to Decanter and Fork magazines and a leading authority on food and wine matching.

In this beautifully photographed book, featuring more than 70 delicious recipes, she expands on the idea that cooking with wine is an easy way to make meals special. Included is a detailed introduction to wine, plus a section covering ’10 Things You Need to Know About Cooking with Wine.’ Each dish also includes a wine pairing to ensure every meal will be a perfect marriage of food and wine.

Starting with Soups, Salads & Appetizers, there are recipes such as Warm Scallop Salad with Crispy Pancetta and Parsnip Crisps, Radicchio and Blue Cheese Salad. The next chapter, Pasta and Grains, includes Sticky Pork Mac’n’Cheese and Slow-cooked Ragu. Fish & Seafood has recipes for Moules Mariniéres with Muscadet and Fine Wine Fish Pie. Meat and Chicken features a classic Coq Au Vin and a delicious Duck Casserole with Red Wine, Cinnamon and Olives. Try recipes in the Vegetable Dishes and Pulses/Legumes section, such as Caponata and Chestnut, Mushroom and Madeira Tarts. The book rounds off with delightful Sweet Things & Baking with Peaches in Prosecco and Chocolate & Cabernet Pots, then concludes with Sauces, Butters & Relishes.

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Spiced plum, red wine and amaretti crumble

Serves 6

Adding wine to this plum crumble really increases the intensity of its plum flavour.

150 ml/scant 2⁄3 cup ful-bodied but unoaked red wine

75 g / 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar mixed with ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

800 g/1-¾ Ibs. red plums, stoned/pitted and halved or quartered

FOR THE CRUMBLE

60 g/3 oz. hard amaretti cookies

150 g/1 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain/all-purpose flour

75 g/1⁄3/ cup plus 2 tablespoons caster/granulated sugar

10 g/1 stick chilled butter, cubed

chilled thick double/heavy cream, to serve

6 individual ovenproof dishes

Serves 6

Pour the wine into a medium to large saucepan, add the sugar and cinnamon and warm over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer until the liquid is reduced by just over half and is thick and syrupy. (Watch ti doesn’t catch and burn.) Tip in the plums, stir, put a lid on the pan and cook for about 7-8 minutes until beginning to soften. Divide the plum mixture between six lightly greased ovenproof dishes and leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375° F) Gas .5

Blitz the amaretti biscuits in a food processor then add the flour, sugar and cubed butter and pulse until the mixture si the texture of coarse crumbs. Top the dishes with the crumble mixture and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the topping is crisp and the plum juices bubbling through. Serve with thick cream.

What to drink:
Already quite rich but a glass of sweet red such as Recioto della Valpolicella or a late harvest Zinfandel would work nicely.

Recipe published with permission from Firefly Books.