Teri, Why isn't the wine suitable for drinking? The reason I ask is because I go by the rule that if a wine isn't suitable for drinking then it isn't suitable for cooking with either.

Ann

Teri, almost everything I make includes chicken and white wine, LOL.

I hope you resolve the question about the white wine, such as.....is it "cooking wine" which means (basically) throw it down the drain. If its one of those "cooking wines" that came from the supermarket, it means that it's full of salt and other stuff that you really should not be interested in. What Ann said is very simple and true - if you can't drink it, then don't cook with it.

That said, I've had some white wine in my fridge for several weeks. We don't drink it but we do cook with it. I would not serve it in a glass but I do use it in a recipe. I don't honestly know how to draw the line - cooking/drinking - but we're happy with the finished recipe that uses the white wine. I always sniff it out and have not ever thought that it smelled moldy or sour or anything.

Here's a favorite recipe and I usually double the sauce.

CHICKEN PICCATA

4 Chicken breast halves, boned and skinned
Salt and Pepper
Flour (enough for coating)
3 tablespoons butter
Juice of 1 lemon
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine

Put a piece of waxed paper on the counter and place chicken on top. Use a meat pounder, the side of a saucer, the unsharpened side of a heavy knife or other object to pound the breast into a thin piece thatÂs uniformly thick (about an inch). Salt and pepper the chicken generously, then coat with flour. Melt butter in a large skillet and brown chicken on both sides.

Remove chicken from skillet. Add lemon juice, chicken broth and wine. Boil down until itÂs about one-half cup. Place chicken back in skillet, cover and cook 3 minutes. Remove cover and serve.

Oh Chicken Piccata is one of my favorite dishes. I make mine just like woodie2 but I also add some capers. I also agree with ann t and woodie2 that if the wine is not good to drink, it's not good to cook with.

Actually it is a drinking wine. It was recommended to me by the stores wine connoisseur when I asked him for a dry white wine to use in cooking. It's just it's not as good as what I usually drink so I considered it unsuitable. Thanks for the recipe Woodie. I will try it. Anyone else have any recipes they want to share?

CHICKEN IN HONEYED TOMATOES

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
1/ 2 cup dry white wine
2 Tbs. honey
1/ 2 tsp. dried tarragon leaves
1/ 2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
3/ 4 cup pitted black olives, halved
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet. Cook chicken about 5 minutes per side. Remove and keep warm. In same skillet, cook onion and garlic until soft. Stir in tomatoes, wine, honey, thyme and tarragon. Simmer, uncovered, until thickened. Return chicken to sauce. Add olives. Cover and cook another 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

An old stand-by recipe from Julia Child:

CHICKEN BREASTS ARCHDUKE

4 Tblsp. butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 Tblsp. paprika
4 - 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup dry vermouth or white wine
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Heat the butter in a skillet large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer. Sauté the onions until tender but not brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the paprika. Lightly brown the chicken in the butter mixture, about 2 minutes per side. Place the skillet in a preheated 400° F. oven until the chicken is firm to the touch, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the chicken and keep warm. Add the chicken broth and vermouth or wine to the skillet and reduce over high heat until the liquid is almost evaporated. Add the cream and reduce until the sauce has thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and garnish with chopped parsley. Serves 4 to 6.

From Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Volume 1), by Julia Child et al, Random House, 1989.