LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2019

a splash of Lager from page 19

EVERYDAY SPARKLE from page 49

PANKO TOPPING ¾ cup (175 mL) panko bread crumbs ½ cup (125 mL) shredded mozzarella 3 tbsp (45 mL) Honey Brown Lager 1 tsp (5 mL) curry powder ½ tsp (2 mL) sea salt Pinch freshly ground black pepper, to taste ½ tsp (2 mL) chili flakes, optional 1 Start one day early by placing the frozen spinach into a sieve set over a bowl; allow to thaw and drain in the fridge for 24 hours if pos- sible. Once fully thawed, squeeze out as much of the water as you can, otherwise the finished dip will be soupy. Finely chop the squeezed-out spinach; set aside. 2 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). 3 Into a skillet over medium-low heat, add the oil, onion and salt; stir and fry for about 10 minutes or until softened and beginning to colour. Reduce heat to low if getting too dark. 4 Add the garlic and chili pepper; stir and fry for 2 to 3 minutes more or until slightly soft- ened. Add the curry powder, ground cumin and pepper; stir constantly and fry for about 30 seconds. Add ⅔ cup (150 mL) of the lager, stir and continue to cook until reduced some- what—about 1 minute. Add the spinach; con- tinue to cook for about another 30 seconds to warm through and combine. Transfer to a large bowl or to the bowl of a stand mixer. 5 Into the bowl with the spinach mixture, add the ricotta, cream, coriander, mozzarella and remaining 3 tbsp (45 mL) of the lager. Mix on low speed or with a wooden spoon until well combined. 6 Transfer to an ovenproof dish or casserole big enough to hold about 3 cups (750 mL); any shape will do, but make sure it’s pretty enough to bring to the table! Or, to spread the love around the room, portion the dip out into smaller ovenproof dishes, such as onion soup bowls, and arrange on a baking sheet. 7 For the panko topping, combine all ingre- dients in a medium bowl and stir to mix well. Smooth the dip out on top, and spread topping over top of dip. 8 Pop into preheated oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the top is golden and the interior is hot. Serve hot, warm or at room tem- perature. Leftovers, though it’s highly unlikely there’ll be any, can be reheated in the micro- wave or oven. Serves 6

THE NEGRONI SBAGL IATO In a tumbler half-filled with ice cubes, stir 1 oz sweet red vermouth and 1 oz Campari. Top up with 1 oz chilled brut Prosecco. Stir to com- bine. Garnish with a blood orange wheel. Makes 1 drink THE CATALAN 75 In a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice, com- bine 2 oz brandy, 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice and 2 tsp (10 mL) Simple Syrup (recipe follows) or sugar. Shake to dissolve sugar. Strain into a cocktail glass and top up with chilled cava. Garnish with a lemon twist. Makes 1 drink S IMPLE SYRUP Combine equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan. Simmer, stirring, until sugar has dis- solved. Allow to cool completely. THE COMBIER ROYALE Pour 1 oz Triple Sec into a Champagne flute. Slowly fill the flute with chilled Crémant de Loire. Garnish with an orange twist. Makes 1 drink THE RHUBARBELL INI 1 Make a rhubarb purée by chopping 1 lb (455 g) rhubarb into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces and adding them to a saucepan with ¾ cup (175 mL) caster sugar and 4 tbsp (60 mL) wa- ter or freshly squeezed orange juice. Heat to a simmer, cover pot and cook for 10 minutes. Pu- rée rhubarb in a blender or with an immersion blender. Strain through a fine sieve, if desired. Allow to cool then chill in the fridge. 2 To make cocktail, fill a Champagne coupe one-quarter full with rhubarb purée. Carefully top up with sparkling wine. Garnish with a thin wedge of pink grapefruit. Makes 1 drink

HONEY BROWN LAGER- SPIKED WARM CURRIED SPINACH & RICOTTA DIP WITH CRUNCHY PANKO TOPPING This easy-to-make, creamy and not-too-spicy baked dip is both familiar and exciting, offer- ing the nuanced flavours of lager and curry spices. Serve it with the same beer you use in the recipe for a sympatico taste experience. Cocktail papadums are the perfect dippers for this, and can be found nowadays at many large grocers and of course in East Indian shops, but they do require deep-frying just before serving. And if your gang falls on the “hate it” side of coriander, just omit it! Serve warm from the oven or at room temperature. 1 pkg (300 g) frozen spinach, thawed, drained and finely chopped 3 tbsp (45 mL) vegetable oil (corn, sunflower or olive) 1 regular onion, finely chopped 1 tsp (5 mL) sea salt 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp (10 mL) curry powder 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin ½ tsp (2 mL) black pepper ⅔ cup plus 3 tbsp (150 mL plus 45 mL) Honey Brown Lager; divided 1¼ cups (310 mL) full-fat ricotta cheese 3 tbsp (45 mL) 35% cream ¼ cup (60 mL) finely chopped fresh coriander leaves and tender stems; tough stems discarded (optional) ½ cup (125 mL) shredded mozzarella 1 small chili pepper, finely chopped (mild jalapeño or hot Thai chili)

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98  FOOD & DRI NK SPRING 2019