LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2017

A Taste of CUBA from page 74

5 Pour into the prepared cake pan. Pop any large bubbles with a toothpick. Place the cake pan inside a deep roasting pan. Pour boiling water into roasting pan until halfway up the sides of cake pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until flan wobbles slightly in the centre. Do not overbake. Cool and refrigerate at least 2 hours or until needed. 6 Combine pineapple, lime juice, orange juice, mint, lime zest and orange zest. Reserve. 7 Set cake pan in a bath of hot water and let sit for 1 minute. Run a thin-edged knife around edge of pan and unmould onto a rimmed serv- ing platter. If not all the caramel has released then place the pan over low heat until it lique- fies, and pour over flan. Top or surround the flan with the pineapple salsa. Serves 6 to 8 LCBO 474551 $27.95 Vanilla enhances the flavour of other components in a pairing. Here, it intensifies the coconut and pineapple flavours of the flan. Havana Club Añejo 3 Años LCBO 337667 $26.95 Cuban rums are complex and flavourful. Tropical fruit, vanilla and banana flavours in the spirit pick up simi- lar notes in the dish. CUBA BLUE This is a twist on the classic Cuban digestif El Presidente. With the Caribbean Sea in mind we used blue Curaçao. Still carrying orange notes, blue Curaçao adds a fun beach vibe with its ocean-blue hue. This cocktail’s bitter- ness complements the sweetness of the coco- nut flan. A lovely way to end a meal. WHAT TO SERVE  J.P. Wiser’s Vanilla Whisky

COCONUT FLAN WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA

Bake this until it just wobbles in the middle and you will have the perfect texture for this Cuban-inspired flan. Use vegetable oil if you don’t have coconut oil to grease the pan. If you cannot find canned coconut cream, then sub- stitute with¼cup (60mL) whipping creamadd- ed to 1¼ cups (310 mL) coconut milk. I prefer the organic coconut milk; it is richer in flavour. Coconut oil

SPICED COCONUT DAIQUIRI

There are two ways of making a Daiquiri— shaken with ice in a cocktail shaker or blend- ed with ice in a blender. This creamy blended version is cool and refreshing with sweet notes from the spices. The zesty lime and cooling coconut flavours complement salty, fried and spicy foods, making this a perfect accompaniment to our Yucca Fries with Mojo Sauce. 3 ice cubes ¼ cup (60 mL) coconut milk 1½ oz spiced rum ½ oz Triple Sec 1 tbsp (15 mL) Simple Syrup (recipe page 102) 1 tbsp (15 mL) orange juice

CARAMEL ¾ cup (175 mL) sugar ¼ cup (60 mL) water 1 tbsp (15 mL) golden or maple syrup FLAN 3 eggs 5 egg yolks ½ cup (125 mL) sugar 1½ cups (375 mL) coconut cream 1 cup (250 mL) coconut milk ⅓ cup (80 mL) dark rum 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt PINEAPPLE SALSA 1½ cups (375 mL) finely diced pineapple, about ½ a pineapple 2 tsp (10 mL) lime juice

1 tbsp (15 mL) lime juice ¼ tsp (1 mL) cinnamon ⅛ tsp (0.5 mL) freshly grated nutmeg

GARNISH Dash of ginger bitters Pinch of cinnamon Pinch of grated orange zest

2 tsp (10 mL) orange juice 1 tsp (5 mL) chopped mint

½ tsp (2 mL) grated lime zest ½ tsp (2 mL) grated orange zest 1 Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). 2 Grease a 6-cup (1.5-L) soufflé dish or 8-inch (20-cm) cake pan with coconut oil. 3 Combine sugar, water and syrup in a heavy pot to make caramel. Bring to a boil and boil until sugar turns a golden brown, about 3 min­ utes. Remove immediately from the heat and pour into prepared cake pan. Swirl until base and sides are coated. Reserve. 4 To make flan, gently whisk together eggs, yolks and sugar in a bowl. Avoid creating vol- ume. Gently whisk in coconut cream, coconut milk, rum, vanilla and salt.

1 Blend ice, coconut milk, rum, Triple Sec, Simple Syrup, orange juice, lime juice, cinna- mon and nutmeg in a blender until cocktail is a slushy consistency. 2 Pour into glass and garnish with a dash of bitters and the cinnamon and orange zest. Makes 1 drink S IMPLE SYRUP 1 Combine equal parts boiling water and sugar, stir until sugar has dissolved, and store in fridge until chilled.

1 large ice cube 1 oz white rum 1 oz sweet white vermouth 1 oz blue Curaçao

GARNISH 1 twist of orange zest

1 Place large ice cube in a rocks glass. Add rum, vermouth and blue Curaçao. Stir and garnish with orange peel. Makes 1 drink

116  FOOD & DRI NK SPRING 2017