G & T

Gin and Tonic

A staple drink, especially for those who do not want Martinis.  While the traditional gin and tonic has only lime juice, the house version omits the lime juice and instead uses zest of lemon and zest of lime.

Tanqueray London Dry Gin

After extensive testing of other gins, we have determined that the only gin that really shines in a gin and tonic is Tanqueray London Dry Gin. (not Tanqueray Rangpur nor Tanqueray 10).  Tanqueray LD is made with four botanicals only: Juniper, Coriander, Angelica, and Liquorice.  Compare this with Bombay Sapphire, which has ten botanicals.  Accordingly Tanqueray LD has a very firm, full flavor which holds up to the tonic water without tasting merely like ethanol (which is what happens to Bombay Sapphire).

Ingredients:  

• 1 oz Tanqueray London Dry Gin
• 5 oz Canada Dry Tonic Water (kept in 10oz glass bottles)
• lemon zest
• lime zest
• ice
• highball glass (not chilled)

The Recipe:

1. Place 4-5 hard, fresh ice cubes in the highball glass
2. Over the glass zest the lemon and lime, ensuring the mist of the zesting process lands in the glass.  This is a crucial step which allows the citrus oils to form the aroma of the drink when combined with the tonic water.  Leave the finished zests on the ice.
3. Pour the gin over the ice and citrus zest.
4. Top off with chilled tonic water (again, about 5 oz)
5. Serve immediately.

Enjoying: 

• Smell the drink first.  Try to isolate the lemon, the lime and then the juniper.
• The juniper is the principle flavor, though not the strongest.  It is reminiscent of pine trees and firs and Christmas.
• When sipping, let the drink flow over the whole tongue, do not swallow right away.  Let the carbon dioxide from the tonic water wake your taste buds and then try to taste the different botanicals.
• Juniper: pine, resin, fresh green flavor, citrus
• Coriander:  orange, lemon, spice, nutty, pine
• Angelica: a very particular flavor rather between fennel, anise, and caraway.
• Liquorice: sweet, anise, tarragon, and sassafras (somewhat like root beer flavor).  The liquorice flavor does not appear until the end of the sip.
• Quinine: bitter
• Remember, drinks are meant to be savored and thought over.  Give them at least as much consideration as you give your iphone (like turn your iphone off and enjoy a drink) and they will reward you ten-fold.

French 75 aromatique

French 75

French 75 aromatique

The usual, but given some more herbal notes by infusing the simple syrup with green aromatics.

Ingredients:

• 0.5 oz  simple syrup (infused, see below)
• 0.5 oz London Dry Gin (Tanqueray )
• 2 oz Sparkling Wine
• lemon twist

 

 Simple Infused Syrup

Combine 0.5 c water and 0.5 c white sugar in a sauce pan and bring to a boil with the lid on.  Boil for 2 min. and then remove from the heat.
Add around 2 tablespoons of greens, one of the following:

• Celery leaves
• Italian Parsley leaves
• Lemon Basil leaves (use sparingly)
• 2 Juniper berries (would supplement the Christmas tree flavor of the gin.  Tanqueray is rather weak Juniper flavor so it would pair nicely)
• 1 Star Anise pod (only around Easter or Christmas)

Let the syrup cool with the herb and then strain and chill.

  Assembly:

1. In a chilled Martini glass or Champagne flute, put the syrup and gin.
2. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with lemon twist.

Swordfish Arreganata

Swordfish with Breadcrumbs

Spada Arreganata

Swordfish steak baked then pan seared with breadcrumbs and served over sautéed vegetables.
 
Il pesce spada (swordfish) is a large oily fish with hearty steaks.  The zoological name is, as usual, much preferable -- Xiphias gladius.   "Arreganata" indicates preparation with bread crumbs.  This preparation pairs the richness of the fish with the sweetness of the vegetables and binds them with lemon.  It is important to cook the tomatoes and onions long enough and cook the spinach short enough.  The onions must develop some char and the tomatoes should be completely cooked.  The spinach should only be limp.
Cooking time 45 min. Serves two.

Ingredients:

• 2 swordfish steaks (sushimi grade frozen steaks wild caught in the Atlantic are best.  Do not eat mercurial fish caught in Singapore.)
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 white onion (do not use a sweet onion)
• 2 cups of fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 cup of bread crumbs (not the salt-ridden stale stuff, it will mask the other flavors.  Make it yourself if necessary(1))
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 lemons
• 2 T of butter
• paprika
• pepper
• salt
• olive oil

 Steps:

1. Rub the defrosted swordfish steaks (do not defrost them in the microwave, that is bad ju ju) with paprika and salt and pepper.  Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. While oven is preheating, slice the onion into six round slices and slice each tomato into four slices.  Peel and slice the garlic.
3. Put steaks in a pyrex casserole dish (if you cook it in a tin pan, it is on your own head).  Squeeze a half of a lemon over each one and put some water in the pan.  Top each steak with a tablespoon of butter and put into the oven for 18 mins.
4. Whilst swordfish is cooking put some olive oil in a cast iron skillet and heat to shimmering.  Heat some oil in a non-stick skilled and cook the garlic until aromatic.
5. In the garlic pan wilt the spinach.  In the cast iron pan sear the onions until black on both sides.  Then sear the tomatoes hard on one side and then briefly cook other side (the tomatoes will be very limp, try to keep them together).
6. Layer the vegetables in three stripes (do not make an Italian flag, that is tacky and stupid).
7. Take swordfish and dredge each side in breadcrumbs.  Put more olive oil in the cast iron pan and sear the breaded swordfish until breadcrumbs are toasted.
8. Place steaks on vegetable bed and squeeze another half a lemon over each dish.  Garnish with lemon twist and serve.

This is a surprisingly filling dish so side dishes are probably unnecessary.  A California style Chardonnay would pair well with the richness of the fish.  Alternatively a light red wine such as Pinot Noir would supplement the vegetables nicely.  A Cabernet would be uncalled for.

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1. Toast two slices of French bread.  Cut into cubes and either beat to a powder or (for those who have food processors with metal blades, you know who you are) whirl in a food processor.