If you have a proper stove, clear of clutter, a good pan, and a proper hood, burning the alcohol in the pan is much safer than doing it over a propane burner or torch. If your issue is igniting it, you can use a long taper, long nosed igniter, or a lit whatever on the end of a long skewer. Any way you do it, have your biggest pot lid or a sheet pan at the ready, so if you get a too scary flame before it burns out, you can easily smother it.

OTOH, flambé doesn't actually do much, and you could just skip it.

But, yes, you can cook out the alcohol over time. It's just that it takes a long time and will greatly reduce the volume as well. You can add more stock or water to loosen it back up, but if you can figure out a way to feel safe with the fire, it will work better for getting the sauce right.

This is a good article with a chart of cooking off alcohol through heat: https://www.isu.edu/news/2019-fall/no-worries-the-alcohol-burns-off-during-cookingbut-does-it-really.html

Compare to this article at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamb%C3%A9 and this post: https://adamliaw.com/article/kitchen-myths1/

Still sounds too scary for me. Thanks for the other idea and the links!

I've never flambeed anything (on purpose), and always simply remove the cooked food and deglaze the pan with my alcohol of choice.

No chance for a flareup if it's off the burner?

If you're cooking on an open fire (gas), NEVER add alcohol over the heat. if the flame is low, it's unlikely to whoosh, but be in the habit of turning off the burner(s) or stepping away so that it's your unthinking habit in case you spill or have a high enough heat to cause a big floosh.

Put it back on the burner and be firm, rather than shaky, about introducing the flame, and with you measured amount of booze, you should get a low flame. Even if you have a bit of a pop of flame, it should burn down fast. Just stand back.

General dafety around flames: No floppy sleeves! If you have long hair, tie it back. Keep sugars, syrups and alcohol off your skin. Keep a lid or sheet tray handy for smothering. Keep clutter away from the stove. Keep a kitchen fire extinguisher where you can get it easily, and know how to use it. Or an extinguisher ball that you just have to throw into the fire. Be aware and prepared, but don't be scared.

That's flames in general. a little booze in the sauce really shouldn't be a big deal, though you should make safety a habit.

I always flambe over a gas fire. Tilt the pan a little and the fumes wil;l ignite. Nothing to be scared of. It will only flame for a few seconds until the alcohol is burned off....and I disagree that flambe doesn't really do anything...it adds the flavor of the burned sugars in the alcohol.

If you are timid, try adding just about a teaspoon of brandy, warm it in the pan for a few seconds and then light with a fire starter lighter....or a piece of spaghetti.

You can cook the alcohol off but it won't have the same flavor as flambee will.

Look at it this way....you are only burning a little bit....it's in a pan and if you don't go shaking the pan and spilling it while it's burning, it has no place to go. No more scary than lighting candles or cooking over a gas stove or having a sterno burner on a chafing dish.

I don't flambé. Perfectly understandable to be hesitant. Epicurious recipe, HERE

1. Pour off fat from skillet, then add shallots and half of butter (2 tablespoons) to skillet and cook over moderately low heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until shallots are well-browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add Cognac (use caution; it may ignite) and boil, stirring, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cream and any meat juices accumulated on platter and boil sauce, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook over low heat, swirling skillet, until butter is incorporated. Serve sauce with steaks.

I actually turn off the burner when i add the cognac. The pan is very hot at that point. Then turn the burner back on to finish.

I learned from Ann_t...her recipe, HERE . She uses less cream. I aim for her color sauce.

Just keep a lid same size as your pan nearby if it flames by accident.

There is to need to flambée the cognac at all if you don't want too. Personally, I'd enjoy the alcohol but you can boil it for a couple of minutes if you don't want it. No sweat!

FWIW, take it or leave it, don’t shoot the messenger, and with any other disclaimer that comes to mind, here’s what Cooks Illustrated says in their development notes for Shrimp fra Diavolo:

I haven’t done any side by side taste tests, I just flambé when the recipe says flambé. I did just cover the base of a cast iron pan with brandy, heated it up and ignited it. Holding my hand about 18” above the flame it got hot but I could hold it in place. I doubt you’ll burn the house down but I suppose you should be prepared for the worst.

ETA - Many years ago I went to tue wedding of a colleaugue. He had been talking up all the food beforehand. Came dessert, they came out with a bowl of something, maybe cherries jubilee or similar, and lit it. Well they also spilled it, so there were sizable flames that they threw napkins and towls on to extingush. It was indeed a memorable presentation!

Yeah - I think some of us would rather not deal with the potential for mess and injury. It just doesn't seem worth it.

Good heavens people......it's really not a big deal....do you put candles on a birthday cake? Do you fry anything in an inch of oil? Do you use a knife? There can be lots of "dangers" in the kitchen and a flambe is just one.... certainly less potential for mess than frying half a pound of bacon!

But the OP was hesitant and afraid of fire. That's the whole point of the thread. Loading up on safety precautions is one way to boost confidence. Finding workarounds is a good way to deal with fears. According to those who have tested it, a lot of people can't taste the difference.

And a lot of people can't taste the difference between fake vanilla and the real stuff, or between 2 Buck Chuck and a St Emillion.

True.