That pulsing headache isn’t the only reminder of the endless clinking and drinking of New Year’s Eve. There’s also that half-full bottle of bubbly on the counter. And since there’s no way that cork’s fitting back in (We promise, stop trying.), it’s time to make that liquid hangover reminder your kitchen’s new workhorse. Whether your bottle o’ bubbly cost you a Lincoln or a Franklin, here are three recipes that will make it so you never waste another drop.
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup Champagne
PREPARATION
• Pour the Champagne into a wide-mouthed jar. Let the jar sit at room temperature for 2 weeks.
• After 2 weeks, the liquid should become Champagne vinegar. (If it hasn’t quite mellowed yet, give it another few days to sit out.) The vinegar can be used for a vinaigrette to pour over salads, in a Mignonette to top oysters, or to lend a zesty splash to tomato sauce or mayonnaise.
This article appears in January 2013.