Flambé

History

Modern flambéing gained popularity in the 19th century. Charles Dickens' 1843 novel A Christmas Carol describes an English Christmas pudding served flaming.

The most common flambé dish was a sweet omelette with rum or kirsch; Alexis Soyer's 1846 cookbook includes a recipe for Omelette au Rhum, instructing to pour rum around it and set it on fire at serving. Ida Joscelyne's 1880 book and A.G. Payne's 1882 cookbook also give similar recipes. Crêpe Suzette, perhaps the most famous flambé dish, was supposedly invented in 1895 by accident.

Procedure

Cognac, rum, or other flavorful liquors around 40% alcohol (80 USA proof) are ideal for flambé. Wines and beers have too little alcohol to ignite, while high-alcohol liquors like Bacardi 151 or Everclear are considered too dangerous by professional cooks. The alcoholic beverage must be heated before lighting, as room-temperature liquid is below its flash point and lacks sufficient vapors; heating increases vapor pressure enough to allow ignition from a match.

Effects on taste

Flambéing reduces the alcohol content modestly; in one experimental model, about 25% of the alcohol boiled off. The flame's temperature can exceed 500 °C, but the pan surface temperature remains lower than needed for Maillard browning or caramelization. Whether flambéing changes flavor is unclear; some argue the flame is above the food and hot gases rise, so it cannot significantly affect taste. Experimental work shows most people cannot tell the difference, though an informal Los Angeles Times taste test of caramelized apples found one tester considered the flambéed version for adults and the simmered one for kids.