LCBO Food & Drink Early Summer 2023

All on Deck from page 37

Burst Your Bubbles from page 53

1 tbsp (15 mL) soy sauce, preferably tamari 1 tbsp (15 mL) packed dark brown sugar 2 1/4 lbs (1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken thighs Salt to taste

CANTINA SPRITZ Inspired by the Spagett, this twist on an Aperol Spritz uses Mexican beer instead of Prosecco, as well as Campari and fresh grape fruit to add a little bittersweet complexity. 12 oz Mexican beer, such as Modelo Especial (LCBO 418590, 6 pk, $18.95) 1 oz red bitters, such as Campari (LCBO 277954, $34.95) 1 1/2 oz fresh red grapefruit juice 1 small wedge grapefruit, well washed 1. Open beer bottle and pour out 3 oz. 2. Refill bottle by slowly pouring in Campari and grapefruit juice. Garnish by wedging a small wedge of grapefruit into neck of bottle, and serve. Makes 1 drink

6 8-inch (20-cm) whole wheat roti wraps Lime wedges for serving

1. To make the creamy slaw, combine lime juice and onion in a large mixing bowl. Let stand 15 minutes. Stir in mayo until combined. Add cabbage and carrots. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 3 days. 2. For the pineapple salsa, combine all ingre dients in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 1 day. 3. For the jerk chicken, place all ingredients except chicken and salt in a food processor. Pulse, stopping and scraping down bowl once, until it forms a coarse purée. Divide marinade in half—each half should be around 1/3 cup (80 mL). Transfer one portion to an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months. Use extra marinade for another batch of jerk chicken or an equivalent amount of boneless pork chops. 4. Place chicken in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt. Add remaining portion of marinade. Mix well. Transfer to a large freezer bag. Press out air and refrigerate at least 4 hours or preferably overnight. 6. Clean and oil barbecue grate. Grill chicken, turning occasionally, until nicely charred and cooked through, 14 to 18 minutes, depending on their size. Transfer chicken to a baking tray. Clean grate again and grill roti just until warmed through, about 20 seconds per side. Stack as you go and cover with a clean kitchen towel. 7. Thickly slice chicken, and either assemble wraps or transfer everything to serving dishes and let guests assemble their own. Serve with lime wedges. 5. Preheat barbecue to medium. WHAT TO SERVE Vineland Estates Semi-Dry Riesling VQA LCBO 232033, $15.95 Ripe tropical honeyed peach and apricot fla vours work well with the pineapple salsa and tame the Scotch bonnet heat. Riesling’s natu ral acidity balances the slaw’s creaminess. Serves 6

JERK CHICKEN ROTI WRAPS WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA & CREAMY SLAW The genius idea to put jerk chicken in a roti is believed to have originated in Toronto. In this version, it’s paired with a juicy pineapple salsa and crunchy, creamy slaw. Since making authentic roti flatbread is labour-intensive, we use pre-made roti wraps by local outfit Crispy Just Baked!, which are available at No Frills. If you can’t find them, use large whole wheat tortillas instead. CREAMY SLAW 4 tsp (20 mL) fresh lime juice 1/4 cup (60 mL) thinly sliced red onion 1/2 cup (125 mL) mayonnaise (reduced-fat is fine) 4 cups (1 L) thinly sliced red cabbage 1 cup (250 mL) julienned carrot Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste PINEAPPLE SALSA 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) diced fresh pineapple 1/4 cup (60 mL) finely diced red pepper 4 tsp (20 mL) thinly sliced green onion, green part only 1 tsp (5 mL) fresh lime juice 1/2 tsp (2 mL) finely grated ginger Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Crunch Time from page 59

RAMEN-CRUSTED CHICKEN TENDERS WITH GOCHUJANG HONEY DIP In these Asian-inspired chicken fingers, butter milk brine adds tremendous flavour while a tempura-like batter paired with crushed instant ramen noodles creates a perfect crunch storm. Gochujang, gochugaru (a Korean red chili pow der) and instant ramen can be found at Korean supermarkets or at tntsupermarket.com.

GOCHUJANG HONEY DIP 6 tbsp (90 mL) honey 3 tbsp (45 mL) gochujang 3 tbsp (45 mL) yellow mustard 3 tbsp (45 mL) mayonnaise 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) rice vinegar

CHICKEN TENDERS 1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk 3 tsp (15 mL) gochugaru, divided 1/2 tsp (2 mL) onion powder 1 1/4 tsp (6 mL) garlic powder, divided 1 1/4 tsp (6 mL) salt, divided, plus more for sprinkling 1/2 tsp (2 mL) brown sugar 1 1/2 lbs (680 g) chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour, divided 1/2 cup (125 mL) cornstarch 5 pkgs (each 100 g) instant ramen noodles, flavour packet discarded or reserved for another use Vegetable oil for frying

JERK CHICKEN 3 green onions, roughly chopped 1 to 2 Scotch bonnet peppers, stemmed 2 cloves garlic 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh thyme leaves 2 tsp (10 mL) ground allspice 1 tsp (5 mL) coarsely ground pepper 1/2 tsp (2 mL) freshly ground nutmeg 2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil 2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lime juice

146 FOOD & DRINK EARLY SUMMER 2023