What Is Champagne and How Can I Use It?
Champagne is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 53 recipes to get you started.
Key Points
- Champagne is sparkling wine; once heated the fizz goes and it acts like a dry white.
- Reduce it with shallots for bright butter and cream sauces on fish and chicken.
- Whisked with yolks it makes sabayon; its bubbles also lighten a frying batter.
- For cooking, any dry brut sparkling wine or a still dry white works just as well.
- Even flat leftover champagne is fine in a sauce; use it within about three days.
What is champagne?
Champagne is sparkling wine, made bubbly by a second fermentation that traps carbon dioxide in the bottle. True Champagne comes only from the Champagne region of France; sparkling wine made the same way elsewhere goes by other names, such as cava and prosecco.
In cooking, what matters is that it is a dry, acidic white wine with bubbles. The fizz vanishes the moment it hits heat, so on the stove champagne behaves like any crisp dry white, lending acidity and a clean, fruity lift to sauces.
That is why it earns its place beyond the toast. It goes into delicate sauces and airy sabayon. It even lightens a crisp frying batter, where a bright wine does real work.
Cooking With Champagne
The classic use is a butter or cream sauce for seafood and poultry. Champagne reduced with shallots and finished with cream or butter turns silky and bright, the base of Poached Salmon in Champagne Dill Sauce and Champagne Chicken.
It poaches beautifully too. Simmering shrimp or fish in champagne, as in Champagne prawns with cocktail sauce or Escalopes of Salmon with Champagne & Chive Sauce, perfumes the flesh with wine and acidity.
A splash even lifts a savory soup, cutting the sweetness of long-cooked onions in a Danish Onion - Champagne Soup.
Reduce it. Most of a sauce's champagne should cook down before any dairy goes in, so the alcohol burns off and the wine concentrates into flavor rather than thin liquid.
Sabayon and Batters
Whisked with egg yolks and sugar over gentle heat, champagne becomes sabayon (zabaglione), a warm, foamy custard spooned over fruit or cake. The wine's acidity keeps it from tasting flat.
The bubbles do have one job before they fade: leavening. Used in place of water in a frying batter or a quick bread, the carbonation gives a lighter, crisper result, the same trick as beer batter.
Champagne also sets into a sweet wobble. Sweetened and gelled, it becomes Champagne Jelly, a light dessert that keeps the wine's fruit and faint fizz.
Pairing and Substitutes
Champagne's acidity suits delicate, rich foods: butter, cream, shellfish, white fish, chicken, and fruit. It is at home with the elegant end of the menu and struggles to stand up to anything heavily spiced or red-meat hearty.
For cooking, you never need real Champagne. Any dry sparkling wine, cava or a brut prosecco, does the identical job for a fraction of the price, and even a leftover flat glass works once you are heating it.
A still dry white wine such as sauvignon blanc or a dry Riesling substitutes cleanly in a sauce, since the bubbles cook off anyway. With no alcohol, white grape juice cut with a squeeze of lemon or a splash of sparkling water gives you the acidity and fruit.
Buying and Storing
For the pan, skip the vintage bottle. A budget brut sparkling wine cooks down exactly the same, so save the good Champagne for the glass. Always choose a dry (brut) style for cooking unless a dessert wants sweetness.
An unopened bottle keeps for years in a cool, dark spot, stored on its side or upright, away from heat and light.
Once opened, champagne goes flat within a day or two even with a stopper, but flatness does not matter for cooking. Keep the leftovers corked in the fridge and use them in a sauce within about three days, while the wine still tastes fresh.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 serving 5 fl oz (147g)Quick facts
Where to find champagne: Champagne is usually found in the liquor section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group: Champagne is a member of the Beverages US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
- In Chinese
- 香槟酒
- British (UK) term
- Champagne
- en français
- champagne
- en español
- champán
How much does champagne weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 fl oz | 29 grams |
| 1 serving 5 fl oz | 147 grams |
Related
Beverages
Recipes using champagne
There are 53 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Arugula Salad Orange Couscous & Citrus Vinaigrette
This salad's presentation is quite lovely. The citrus vinaigrette is top notch and we use the leftovers for other vegetables. The combination of orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit really kick it up a notch. If you really want to impress your guests and blow them away with sophistication this is sure to wow them. Or just make the dressing and use it for other dishes and turn any ordinary vegetable into something special.
Champagne Sausage Patties
Homemade sausage patties ground from beef and fatty pork, seasoned with sage, marjoram, cloves, and chopped pecans, then bound with champagne. An overnight dry in the fridge builds deep, concentrated flavor.
Champagne Cocktail
A fizzy, citrus-bright champagne punch made with orange juice and limeade concentrates, two bottles of bubbly, and sparkling water over crushed ice. Serves 36 and comes together in 10 minutes flat.
Roman Punch
Roman Punch made with lemon sherbet, rum, and iced champagne blended into a slushy, drinkable cocktail. A classic Victorian-era party punch with just 3 ingredients.
Oysters Au Champagne
Oysters au champagne is a classic French appetizer: fresh oysters poached in champagne and oyster liquor with garlic butter, plated over a bed of wilted spinach, and cloaked in a silky roux sauce.
Starfruit & Strawberries
Try this decorative and delicious dish that is perfect for entertaining guests at your next dinner party.
Chilled Fruit Soup with Spiked Nuts
Chilled fruit soup with spiked melon: champagne-sweetened fruit broth ladled over vodka-and-tequila-marinated melon, grapes, and plums. A grown-up summer starter built for heat waves.
Giglio's Fruit Salad [T]
Fruit salad with plums, peaches, bananas, and grapes dressed in hot pepper-infused champagne and rice milk. A dairy-free salad with unexpected heat and elegance.
Sparkling Fruit Smoothies
Sparkling fruit smoothies blend yogurt, fresh fruit, and a pinch of nutmeg, topped with champagne, sparkling water, or ginger ale. A fizzy brunch drink ready in minutes.
New Year's Party Mimosa
This recipe was a wonderful mix of fruity flavors that were not too sweet. I love mango and these are very very good!
Strawberry Ginger Soup
Refreshing chilled strawberry ginger soup with fresh berries and spicy warmth. Elegant cold fruit soup perfect for summer entertaining or light dessert.
Poisson Au Champagne
French fish poached in champagne with onion, lemon, and thyme, finished with a silky egg yolk and champagne butter sauce. An elegant, classic technique that cooks the fillets in minutes.
California Garlic Soup Fondue
Luxurious garlic soup made with 40 cloves of garlic and dry champagne, topped with toasted French bread and bubbly melted Gruyere. French onion soup's bolder cousin.
Cold Melon Soup
Chilled melon soup with cantaloupe, honeydew, champagne, and a drizzle of honey, served in iced bowls with whipped cream and mint. A no-cook summer starter that feels like a celebration.
Kalte Ente
Kalte Ente, a classic German wine punch made with chilled Moselle wine, champagne, lemon, and sugar. An elegant, refreshing punch served ice-cold in a glass bowl.
Salmon Poached in Champagne with Capers & Tarragon
Salmon poached in champagne with capers, tarragon, and lemon juice. An elegant, 30-minute fish dinner with just 7 ingredients and a refined French technique.
Orange Champagne Cocktail
Orange champagne cocktail made with chilled champagne, ginger ale, and fresh orange juice, topped with floating strawberries for a bubbly brunch or party punch.
Pheasant with Champagne Cabbage
Braised cabbage with apple, onion, caraway, and champagne, finished with cream. A holiday-elegant side dish meant to accompany pheasant or other roast game birds.
Champagne Pomegranate Punch (New Year's Eve)
Ring in the New Year with this sparkling champagne pomegranate punch spiked with citrus vodka. Jewel-toned, fizzy, and ready in under 5 minutes. Just stir, pour over ice, and toast.
Green Shrimp Soup
Elegant green pea and shrimp soup finished with white wine, cream, and champagne. Fresh savory and tarragon give this French-inspired soup its herbal depth.
Beets in Onion Vinaigrette
Sugar-glazed beet julienne served on a warm onion vinaigrette with champagne vinegar and olive oil. A refined microwave-cooked beet side dish with elegant plating.
Champagne Fruit Bowl
Champagne fruit bowl tosses crisp apples and seasonal fruit in fresh citrus, then gets a splash of chilled bubbly and toasted almonds right before serving. A bright, boozy brunch centerpiece that comes together in a single bowl.
Ham in Champagne
Ham in champagne baked with two bottles of extra dry champagne, brown sugar, honey, ginger, and dry mustard. A showstopping holiday ham with a bubbly glaze basted every 15 minutes until lacquered.
Master Chef Puff Pastry
Master chef puff pastry made with classic French lamination and six single turns, building hundreds of buttery flaky layers. Restaurant-quality dough for tarts, vol-au-vents, napoleons, and palmiers.
Lavender Jelly
Lavender jelly made with champagne, apple juice, creme de cassis, and fresh lavender flowers set with gelatin. An elegant, fragrant dessert jelly with a pale purple hue.
Champagne Punch
Classic champagne punch with white wine, champagne, fresh lemon juice, grated pineapple, orange liqueur, and soda water. A big-batch party punch bowl recipe for weddings, showers, and celebrations.
Rich & Famous Chicken
Champagne-braised chicken casserole layered with peas, baby carrots, new potatoes, and cream of mushroom soup. A showstopper one-dish dinner.
Oysters in Champagne Sauce
Oysters in champagne sauce: plump shucked oysters cloaked in a silky butter-champagne sauce, broiled just until golden on a bed of rock salt. An elegant appetizer for New Year's Eve or any holiday table.
Fillet of Catfish Bayou Lafourche
Creole catfish Bayou Lafourche: pan-fried catfish fillets topped with poached oysters in a silky tarragon-champagne butter sauce. An elegant Louisiana seafood dish built on a classic beurre blanc finish.
Sparkling Champagne Punch
A bubbly champagne punch with lemonade, pineapple juice, ginger ale, and tonic water. Makes 7 quarts for a crowd. The ultimate party punch bowl recipe for celebrations.
Champagne Celebration Cake
A stunning three-tiered champagne cake soaked in bubbly and frosted with champagne buttercream. Built from two pans and cut into graduated layers, this is the centerpiece for weddings, New Year's, and any excuse to celebrate.
Champagne Celebration Cake
A stunning three-tiered champagne cake soaked in bubbly and frosted with champagne buttercream. Built from two pans and cut into graduated layers, this is the centerpiece for weddings, New Year's, and any excuse to celebrate.
Champagne Celebration Cake
A stunning three-tiered champagne cake soaked in bubbly and frosted with champagne buttercream. Built from two pans and cut into graduated layers, this is the centerpiece for weddings, New Year's, and any excuse to celebrate.
Champagne prawns with cocktail sauce
Champagne-battered prawns fried light and shatteringly crisp, the bubbles in the sparkling wine making the airiest batter, served with a homemade cocktail sauce and lemon. A flirty little dish made for sharing.
Champagne Mushroom Risotto
A weeknight-friendly mushroom risotto made with converted rice, champagne, and cream of mushroom soup. Creamy, earthy, and on the table in 30 minutes with no constant stirring required.
Citrus Vinaigrette
Fresh citrus vinaigrette with diced orange, grapefruit, lime, and lemon segments in olive oil, champagne vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, pink peppercorns, and cilantro. Restaurant-quality.
Shrimp in Champagne Sauce with Pasta
Elegant shrimp poached in champagne, then tossed with sautéed mushrooms, shallots, and tomatoes in a reduced cream sauce over angel hair pasta. This luxurious 40-minute dinner is worthy of a special occasion.
Oyster & Brie Soup
Oyster and brie soup, a luxurious New Orleans-style chowder with plump oysters, melted Brie cheese, and a champagne-sherry finish. Restaurant-elegant starter for celebration dinners.
Orange Roughy with Champagne Sauce
Pan-seared orange roughy with a champagne reduction sauce, sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers, and onion rings. Spiced with soy sauce, chili powder, and red pepper for a bold, elegant fish dinner.
Baked Ham in Champagne
Add sophistication to your ham this Christmas, but don't expect the aroma to keep people in their seats.
Garlic Prawns
Garlic prawns sauteed in butter with shallots, then simmered in champagne and fresh lemon juice with dill. An elegant 20-minute seafood dinner served over rice or pasta.
101 Garlic Chicken
Learn how to make a scrumptious chicken dish with a true garlic taste with this simple recipe.
Champagne Almond Cake
A buttery, dense bundt cake scented with almond extract and sour cream, baked low and slow, then drizzled with a champagne-vanilla glaze. Elegant enough for celebrations, simple enough for a Sunday afternoon.
Champagne Jelly
Champagne jelly: a sparkling four-ingredient preserve with bright wine flavor and a clear, jewel-toned set. Brilliant on a cheeseboard or glazing roast chicken.
Escalopes of Salmon with Champagne & Chive Sauce
Thin salmon escalopes grilled in barely a minute and served in a frothy champagne and chive cream sauce. An elegant, restaurant-style dish that cooks fast yet looks dinner-party special.
Escalopes of Salmon with Champagne & Chive Sauce
Thin salmon escalopes grilled in barely a minute and served in a frothy champagne and chive cream sauce. An elegant, restaurant-style dish that cooks fast yet looks dinner-party special.
Champagne Chicken
Sautéed chicken breasts deglazed with dry champagne and finished in a silky tarragon cream sauce. Quick, elegant, and ready in under 45 minutes. Optional prosciutto-stuffed variation takes it over the top.
Danish Onion - Champagne Soup
Lavish Danish onion soup simmered with an entire bottle of dry champagne, Camembert cheese, and a silky port wine egg yolk liaison. Served over butter-fried bread. This is not your average onion soup.
Terrine of America's Three Smoked Fish
Elegant layered fish terrine with smoked salmon, sturgeon, and whitefish mousse, served with champagne dressing and caviar. A stunning centerpiece for special occasions.
Chicken & Vegetable Terrine
A layered French terrine of pureed ground chicken, carrot batons, green beans, and black olives baked in a water bath until firm and sliceable. Elegant charcuterie-board worthy fare with a champagne finish.
