Add a new spirit to dishes with a splash of liqueur

Want to add new spirit to recipes you’ve had tucked in that little box forever? There’s a simple way to accomplish this. A small dash of “spirits” — as in liqueurs — will do the trick.
With 27 recognized Italian liqueurs to choose from, you probably don’t have to shop for a thing. We reach for these glamorous and sometimes colorful bottles to create alluring aperitifs or decadent desserts, yet we don’t often reach for these potions for our entrees or side dishes.

“Liqueur” is essentially the same word as “liquor,” although these words have different meanings. A liqueur is a richly flavored, and often sweetened, alcoholic drink, while liquor is an alcoholic beverage made by distillation rather than fermentation.

The most popular types of Italian liqueurs here at home include amaretto, anisette, sambuca and limoncello. Campari, Disaronno, Fernet Branca, Frangelico and Galliano are all popular brands of Italian liqueur.

Amaretto is almond-based. Anisette tastes like licorice, but there is no actual licorice involved. Its flavor comes from aniseed paste.

Some history: Frangelico is referred to in legends dating back to 1455, and credit is given to a hermit friar for the creation of this hazelnut favorite. This is why the bottle looks like a friar’s habit.

Disaronno is a fruity brand of amaretto, with 17 herbs and fruits, from a recipe created in 1525.

Fernet Branca was originally created in Milan in 1845 as a bitters to treat digestive issues and is still considered an effective “digestivo” in Italy. With 27 herbs, it’s the most difficult to use in food pairing, but when you get it right it’s pretty terrific.

Campari arrived in 1860 and its bitter, spicy and sweet tones were created by infusing herbs and rare fruits. It was originally colored with carmine dye, derived from crushed cochineal insects, which gave the drink its distinctive red color. No worries; this process ended in 1904.

Some 130 years ago, enter sambuca, made from elderflower and herbs. And in 1896, Galliano appeared with its sweet vanilla, star anise, ginger and citrus characters.

My favorite, limoncello, has only been around for about 100 years. Its ingredients are simple: grain alcohol, lemon zest and sugar.

All of these can be used in savory recipes. Try using limoncello in a sauce for pork loin. Sambuca enhances cabbage stuffed with lamb and feta or in a caramelized fennel confit. Go retro with Galliano and bring back that Harvey Wallbanger cake, or be more adventurous and use it for a skillet dish of chicken breast stuffed with prosciutto, goat cheese and mushroom.

Use amaretto as a marinade for jumbo shrimp, or Frangelico to add an Italian spin to duck a l’orange, using blood oranges and pine nuts. Adding Disaronno to cream, chicken stock, shallot and chives creates a luxurious cream sauce for chicken.

Pop up the flavor of short ribs with a bit of anisette. Try a Campari cranberry relish for a versatile side dish, or in a spicy pulled pork. For the more complex Fernet Branca, an overnight marinade infuses a smoky flavor into strip steak with onions and garlic.