LCBO Food and Drink Early Summer 2016

PINEAPPLE BUNDLES WITH CI LANTRO-L IME DIP For a vegetarian/vegan version of this tropi- cal hors d’oeuvre, omit the ham and tie the bundles with chives that have been blanched in boiling water for a few seconds then re- freshed in ice water. The recipe calls for more prosciutto than you will probably need, but since it falls apart easily, it’s better to play it safe.

AUSTIN 35 Tart, refreshing and deceptively potent, this sparkling libation is a vodka-based variation on the sparkling French 75. The easiest way to cut a long, thin lemon twist is with a channel knife, which is sold on its own and can also be found on some citrus zesters. Start at one end of the lemon and cut in a circular motion around the fruit. 1½ oz vodka, preferably Tito’s Handmade Vodka ¾ oz strained fresh lemon juice ½ oz Simple Syrup (recipe page 148) 3 oz dry sparkling rosé (such as cava), chilled Long thin lemon twist 1 Pour vodka, lemon juice and Simple Syrup into a cocktail shaker. Add 3 ice cubes. Shake for 5 seconds. Strain into a chilled Champagne flute. Top with sparkling wine, pouring slowly. Garnish with lemon twist. Makes 1 drink This delightful seafood appetizer offers a complex range of flavours in just a few bites. The secret is to cut the shrimp by hand in- stead of in the food processor, which gives the fritters a more delicate texture. The cakes can be cooked up to 8 hours ahead of time, refrig- erated then reheated in a 350°F (180°C) oven for about 5 to 7 minutes. DILL REMOULADE ½ cup (125 mL) mayonnaise (reduced fat is fine) 1 small clove garlic, minced 2 tbsp (30 mL) thinly sliced green onion 1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped dill 2 tsp (10 mL) capers, rinsed, chopped SHRIMP CAKES WITH DI LL REMOULADE & FENNEL SLAW

½ tsp (2 mL) smoked paprika 6 tbsp (90 mL) panko bread crumbs Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste ⅓ cup (80 mL) cornmeal ¼ cup (60 mL) vegetable oil, divided Dill leaves to garnish

1 For the dill remoulade, combinemayonnaise, garlic, green onion, dill, capers, mustards, lem- on juice and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Season with salt, if necessary, and pepper. (Remoulade will keep, covered and refrigerated, for 5 days.) 2 For the fennel slaw, cut fennel in half length- wise through core. Slice thinly crosswise on a mandolin, discarding cores. Add olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Mix. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours. Drain be- fore using. 3 For the shrimp cakes, rinse shrimp and pat dry with paper towel. Using a sharp knife, chop into pieces between ¼ and ½ inch (0.5 to 1 cm). Place in a mixing bowl with egg, onion, smoked paprika and panko. Season with salt, if necessary (most frozen shrimp are salty), and pepper. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. 4 Place cornmeal on a plate. Form heaping 2-tbsp (30-mL-plus) portions of shrimp mixture into 2½-inch-diameter (6-cm) patties. Coat pat- ties in cornmeal. 5 Working in 2 batches, heat half of vegetable oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium- high heat. Pan-fry half of shrimp cakes until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towel. Repeat for remaining shrimp cakes. 6 Arrange shrimp cakes on a serving platter. Top each with a dollop of remoulade and some drained fennel slaw. Garnish with dill leaves. Makes 12 cakes TEQUI LA & TONIC Also known as TNT or Tequonic, the combi- nation of fruity, peppery reposado tequila and bitter, citrusy tonic water creates a revela- tory Highball. Brightened with a pair of lime wedges, it’s up there with the beloved G&T. 2 lime wedges 2 oz reposado tequila, preferably Tromba 5 oz chilled tonic water, preferably Schweppes 1 Half-fill a chilled Highball glass with ice. Squeeze 1 lime wedge over ice and drop into glass. Fill glass with ice and repeat with re- maining lime wedge. Pour in tequila and tonic. Lightly stir. Makes 1 drink

CILANTRO-LIME DIP 1 can (400 mL) light coconut milk 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, chopped 1 cup (250 mL) cilantro leaves, lightly packed 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lime juice Salt to taste PINEAPPLE BUNDLES ½ ripe pineapple, peeled, cored ½ large red pepper, trimmed 2 cups (500 mL) pea shoots 12 small or 6 large thin slices prosciutto

1 For the cilantro-lime dip, empty can of co- conut milk into a mixing bowl. Whisk vigor- ously until all cream is incorporated evenly into liquid. (This prevents the coconut milk from separating when you make the sauce.) Measure out 1 cup (250 mL) and save rest for another use. 2 Place cup of coconut milk, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, lime and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. (Dip will keep, covered and refriger- ated, for 3 days. The colour will dull over time, but it will still taste fine.) 3 For the pineapple bundles, cut pineapple into twenty-four 3 x 1 x ½-inch (8 x 2.5 x 1-cm) pieces. Cut peppers into twenty-four 3-inch (8-cm) strips. Trim pea shoots from bottoms to 3-inch (8-cm) lengths. Cut prosciutto into twenty-four 7 x 1¼-inch (18 x 3-cm) strips. 4 To form bundles, lay down strip of pro­ sciutto. Place pineapple spear perpendicular toprosciuttoabout two-thirds of thewaydown. Top pineapple with 1 pepper strip and about 4 pea shoots. Wrap bundle and repeat. (Bun- dles will keep, covered with damp paper towel and plastic wrap, and refrigerated, for up to 4 hours.) 5 Transfer bundles to serving platter and place dip in bowl. Serve. Makes 24

1½ tsp (7 mL) Dijon mustard 1½ tsp (7 mL) grainy mustard 1 tsp (5 mL) fresh lemon juice ½ tsp (2 mL) hot sauce Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste FENNEL SLAW ½ fennel bulb, trimmed 1 tbsp (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste SHRIMP CAKES 1 lb (500 g) shrimp, peeled, deveined

1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 green onion, thinly sliced

166  FOOD & DRI NK EARLY SUMMER 2016