A recipe I want to work on this weekend contains the following directions:
First, what’s a nonreactive saucepan? Second, how does one reduce the tequila? Won’t the alcohol just burn until it’s all gone? And how do I light it without killing myself and/or setting the kitchen on fire?
A nonreactive saucepan is one that doesn’t change color or begin to melt when you put something acidic into it, duh.
Not to worry. I’ll bet a dollar to a donut that your saucepans are either stainless steel or lined with stainless steel, so you have nothing to fear.
Tip the pan and touch a lighted kitchen match to the surface of the tequila. It should ignite and burn. It won’t explode. It should just make a cheerful little blue flame.
Watch it for a minute or two (I assume you’re reducing an ounce or two of tequila, not a liter), then gently blow it out.
Thanks, Uke. I’m usually a pretty good cook once I can interpret the directions…but I get hung up on stuff like this every once in a while.
I’ll see your donut and raise you a cruller…
To elaborate on what Uke said: Certain pot materials react with certain foods, and either cause the pot or the food to change color. I can’t remember which. Anyway, the 2 pot materials to be concerned about are aluminum and cast iron.
Non-lined cast-iron cookware is pretty common. I suppose you know what a cast-iron skillet looks like. Enamel-lined cast iron cookware (like Le Creuset) is non-reactive because the food does not contact the metal.
Aluminum, ordinary aluminum, is less common, largely because of the reactivity. There are many aluminum pots on the market (like Calphalon), but these are anodized or something so that they are not reactive.
Most likely, your pan has a cooking surface of stainless steel or some non-stick finish. Both are non-reactive.
Do tell us how it comes out.
You probably don’t need to blow it out, the booze is probably only about 1/3 (ok, 40%) alchohol anyway.
I’d rather see you put a lid on the pot. You could accidently spill some of the alchohol by blowing on it.
BTW; I thought this question was going to be about roasting people. (Us) 
Whacha cookin’?
Peace,
mangeorge
If this is a little Tequila no problemo - if it is a lot (like 200ml) make sure you light it as soon as it hits the pan - if it sits in a hot pan for a few seconds the alcohol can vaporize and you will get a pretty big ‘flash’.
As mentioned in the sulfuric acid thread, most kinds of glass are also extremely unreactive, so if you have a glass saucepan, that’s guaranteed to work.
A saucepan carved out of a giant ruby would also fill the bill.
Darn!
I thought you were looking for recipes for
COOKING Dopers.
Blows dust off of Dragonlady’s book
Wait!! It says “COOKING FOR Dopers”.
Blows more dust off book
“COOKING FOR FORTY Dopers”
Mmmmmmm! When’s dinner? 
sends Matt Groening his royalty check
The earlier posts got it right with the non-reactive saucepans.
(I’ve gotta get me one of Uke’s carved ruby saucepans)
For the tequila, when you flame it, don’t blow it out, and don’t put a lid on it. I’m assuming you’re lighting a few ounces worth (no more than a cup) If you blow it out or put a lid on it, you may not burn out all the alcohol. The alcohol will burn out on its own, leaving behind the rest of the liquid and tequila flavor. Remember that tequila is not 100% alcohol–even your average rubbing alcohol is 70% alcohol–there are other liquids comprising it.
Burning out the alcohol completely is important if this is is for a marinade for any kind of meat–alcohol denatures proteins (in layman’s terms–cooks it)–such as lemon juice cooks the seafood in ceviche. If you have any alcohol left in this mixture, and it is combined with a protein for a few hours, it will start to cook the meat and most likely leave it chewy.
As a warning, when you light the flame, do stand back. It may be a small flame at first, but when it starts to heat up, that flame will go. Just let it run its course (but do keep a lid nearby if flames get too high and you get nervous) and you’ll do fine.
Wait a minute, Uke… Don’t they say that you shouldn’t use cookware with aluminum in it?
Nah, I saw that alien abduction one. He swiped the gig from someone else, the Three Stooges or Edgar Rice Burroughs.
It’s ok to use reactive (aluminum) cookware, as long as you only use it for nonreactive foods.
:
Peace,
mangeorge (Huh?)
In another incarnation, I saw something kept in the refrigerator in an aluminium bowl.
Although a liquid, it grew very interesting colors and the bowl was blackened.