LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2020

Breads & spreads from page 65

WHITE CHRISTMAS NEGRONI Adding water to this batched recipe, and chill- ing the bottled pre-mixed drink thoroughly, is a quick and easy technique that eliminates the need to stir each cocktail with ice before serving. About 1/2 to 3/4 oz water per drink is the ideal amount of dilution. 1 bottle (750 mL) gin 1 bottle (750 mL) Lillet Blanc 1 bottle (750 mL) Blanc or Bianco (not dry) white vermouth 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) cold water Fresh cranberries or pomegranate arils, optional, for garnish 1 In a large pitcher or bowl, combine gin, Lillet, vermouth and water. Stir thoroughly. Funnel mixture into glass serving bottles and refrigerate for up to 3 days. 2 To serve, pour 3 oz of Negroni mixture over a large ice cube (optional: freeze fresh cran- berries or pomegranate arils into the cubes) in a lowball glass. BREAKING THE ICE NEGRONI Creating this bar-calibre drink at home is not difficult but may require a little trial and error with freezing times and ice thicknesses: start experimenting a few days before entertaining. 1 oz gin 1 oz red (sweet) vermouth 1 oz Campari 1/2 oz cold water Hollow ice spheres (instructions follow) Fresh mint or rosemary sprig 1 For each drink, combine gin, vermouth and Campari with water; stir well and chill in freez- er for at least 30 minutes. Freeze thick-glass serving tumblers (diameter slightly larger than ice spheres) for at least 30 minutes. 2 Remove a hollow ice sphere from freezer and, using a large spoon and holding glass sideways, carefully lower sphere into frozen glass, fill-hole facing up. If necessary, use a chopstick or straw to hold in place. Using a culinary syringe or small funnel, inject approxi- mately 3 oz Negroni into ice sphere until full. 3 Place a sprig of fresh mint or rosemary in fill hole to garnish. Serve with a muddler or metal spoon to crack sphere. Makes 30 drinks

BUTTER TRIO If you are looking for a quick, elegant, edible gift consider these flavoured butters. They can easily be dressed up by placing the butter in a small glass weck jar, and they pair perfectly with the warm parker house rolls. The butters also make a great addition to steaks or roasted vegetable dishes. I prefer to use unsalted butter when making flavoured butters, as I can control the amount of salt.

HOLLOW ICE SPHERES To make these wow-factor hollow ice spheres you’ll need 2 1/2-inch (6-cm) silicone ice-sphere moulds, which come in singles as well as in trays of multiples, plus a tiny funnel. A culinary syringe or flavour-injector makes quicker work of filling them. Start experimenting several days before entertaining to determine optimal freezing times and perfect your technique. Even if the spheres crack or melt, you’ll have delicious, icy cocktails! 1 Fill a silicone ice-ball mould with water according to manufacturer’s instructions. Place mould in a high air-circulation area of freezer, ideally on a rack, and freeze for at least 2 hours. Invert the mould and freeze for another approx- imately 2 hours. The sphere is ready when the ice appears to be at least 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick; the interior will still be liquid. 2 Pre-freeze an empty shallow plastic con- tainer (deep enough to hold finished spheres, with a lid). Remove ice spheres from moulds, if necessary briefly running under cold water (not warm or hot, which may cause it to crack) to help release them. Place in frozen plastic container and work with 1 sphere at a time, with any additional spheres remaining in freez- er. Place a single sphere back in silicone mould to stabilize/hold it, with fill-hole facing up, and use sharp tip of a paring knife or a metal skewer to carefully carve a small hole, approx­ imately 1/4 inch (5 mm) or the diameter of your syringe or dropper and funnel in partially frozen ice ball. The tip of the knife, skewer or culinary syringe (if using) can be warmed under hot water to help form the opening. 3 Using a culinary syringe or dropper, and working as quickly as you can, extract remain- ing water from inside sphere. 4 Carefully place hollow spheres, positioned with holes at top, in frozen plastic container and cover with lid. Return to freezer for at least 3 to 4 hours or overnight before filling and serving. 5 See Breaking the Ice Negroni (recipe this page) for instructions on filling.

GORGONZOLA & CHIVE BUTTER 1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup (125 mL) Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled 2 tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped fresh chives Salt and black pepper, to taste

CRANBERRY & ROSEMARY BUTTER 1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup (125 mL) dried cranberries, finely chopped 2 tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped fresh rosemary Salt and black pepper, to taste

MAPLE & SAGE BUTTER 1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tbsp (15 mL) pure maple syrup 1/2 tsp (2 mL) pure vanilla extract 2 tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped fresh sage Salt, to taste 1 In individual small mixing bowls, add the ingredients for each butter. Stir until well combined. Chill for 15 minutes. 2 Transfer each to a sheet of plastic wrap. Shape into logs 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. 3 Refrigerate until firm. Butters can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 2 months. 4 Remove from fridge at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) Gorgonzola & Chive Butter and Cranberry & Rosemary Butter, 1 cup (250 mL) Maple & Sage Butter

Makes 1 drink

250 

HOLIDAY 2020 FOOD & DRINK