I'm making a chicken stir-fry.

[no_hypocrisy]

But I don't have any sherry.

Can you substitute cognac for a couple of tablespoons of sherry?

Thanks!

[Liberal Jesus Freak]

1. Oh my!

I've never put alcohol in a stir fry but I think cognac or white wine would be fine. I must try that

[elleng]

2. Dunno, I tend to suspect YES,

but read all about it! http://www.chowhound.com/post/substituting-liquor-recipes-287675

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Thanks y'all!

Will report back!

[Warpy]

4. You can certainly try

I'd probably use a bit less to make it less boozy. While there is a classic recipe called "drunken chicken," my guess is that you're not making that one.

Dry sherry is the closest thing to dry rice wine. I've tried both and think I prefer the sherry for the nutty undertone.

Just be careful of white wine subs, most are too sweet.

[Major Nikon]

5. Yes

Many flavors aren't water soluble but are alcohol soluble. So the biggest reason ethyl based beverages are used in cooking is to release flavors which would otherwise be muted. A secondary consideration is imparting whatever flavor is contained in the beverage used. For some recipes, like chicken marsala, the flavor of the alcohol is a big component of the dish, but if your recipe only calls for a couple of tablespoons, I wouldn't expect much difference from the substitution.

[no_hypocrisy]

6. OK, cognac worked.

The dish turned out pretty good for a homemade Chinese dish (chicken-broccoli).