The Edible Martini
Posted on March 11, 2009, under Drink.
Following up on my last post, here’s video of Dave Arnold demonstrating his technique of vacuum infusing cucumber with gin and vermouth to create an “edible martini”.
Cocktails at Woodson and Ford
I had a great time at last night’s Dining & Libation Society event held in the beautiful new underground space some are calling Woodson and Ford. The bartenders each spoke about the creation of their cocktails and shared some of the sophisticated techniques they used. Regrettably, Dave Arnold’s 1,600 degree hot poker was on the fritz, so a new cocktail had to be substituted in at the last minute for his Red Hot Manhattan. On the other side of the temperature spectrum, liquid nitrogen was pumped out of coffee carafes to quickly chill the inside of each glass before being filled with a drink.
The Drinks
Admiral Warrender
By Lynnette Marrero & Jim Mearns
Scotch, Demerara, Orange Bitters, Qi Black Tea Liquor
A simple but lovely combination, pairing the smokiness of the scotch alongside that of the black tea.
Sgt. Fruity Peppercorn
By Johnny Iuzzini & Dave Arnold
Pink Peppercorn, Rhum Clement, Grapefruit, Creole Shrub, Edible Twist
“Pink peppercorn” refers to a spirit that Dave Arnold distilled from some “very special” pink peppercorns, sourced from Manhattan’s “Mr. Recipe” no doubt. Grapefruit juice was clarified then frozen into ice cubes which were used to shake the drinks. The “edible twist” was a sort of orange peel confit, which I imagine was simmered low in simple syrup for many hours until totally edible. This drink got a dusting of herbs — flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen and blended — on top.
The Swedish Chef
By Johnny Iuzzini & Dave Arnold
House made Aquavit, Cucumber, Apple, St. Germain, Lemon, Bubbles, Martini Cucumber
After being mixed, the “bubbles” were added by carbonating the drink directly from a big canister of carbon dioxide. The “martini cucumber” garnish was delicious — batons of cucumber, vacuum-compressed with a gin and vermouth solution until beautifully transparent.
George Mendes contributed appetizers including bacalao (salted cod) and coconut mousse with candied olives, seared shrimp with smoked paprika, and curry-dusted potato chips.
UPDATE 3/18/09: Serious Eats has more on the event, including a few photos.
Dining & Libation Society
I’m really looking forward to tonight’s speakeasy event hosted by the Dining & Libation Society.
Join Eat Out editor Gabriella Gershenson for an evening of innovative libations from longtime collaborators Johnny Iuzzini—the Jean Georges pastry chef and part-time barkeep—and foodie physicist Dave Arnold of the French Culinary Institute. Sample their wizardly potables at TONY’s exclusive Dining & Libation Society cocktail event. Also on the menu: a sneak peek at the tapas from chef George Mendes’ forthcoming Spanish eatery, Aldea. The hush-hush location will be revealed to confirmed attendees.
If we’re lucky maybe the duo will re-enact their performance from the Blue Blazer Mix-off at Pegu Club last fall. The Blue Blazer is a flaming cocktail created by legendary bartender Jerry Thomas, who refused to mix the drink unless it was 50 degrees or colder outside, or his customer had the flu or a cold. Dave and Johnny up the showmanship of the original drink, with Dave shooting an arc of flaming bourbon down the length of the bar, and Johnny struggling to extinguish his flaming arm. Watch for yourself:
Jerry Thomas’ Blue Blazer
- 2 1/2 oz rye or bourbon whiskey or Brandy
- 2 1/2 oz boiling water
- 1 tsp powdered sugar
- lemon peel
Use two large silver-plated mugs, with handles. Put the whiskey in one mug, and the boiling water into the other, ignite the whiskey and, while blazing, mix both ingredients by pouring them from one mug to the other. If well done, this will have the appearance of a continued stream of liquid fire. Sweeten with sugar and serve with a piece of lemon peel. Serve in a four-ounce stemmed mug.
Infusing Raw Oysters
Oyster photo by Swamibu
In an earlier post, I wrote about the possibility of seasoning your produce as it grows. Researchers added salt to the typical nutrient bath used to grow hydroponic tomatoes, and the mature tomatoes retained the flavor of the salt they grew in.
A new post by chadzilla points to a similar technique, flavoring oysters while they’re still alive. Live oysters feed by filtering the water around them for nutrients, at a rate of up to 3 gallons an hour. Because of this, the specific makeup of the brine they live in impacts the flavor of the oyster. Chad infused his oysters with pickle brine, then served them raw with thin vacuum pickled cucumber slices and bacon powder, using a technique inspired by Dave Arnold and Nils Noren of the French Culinary Institute. Here’s their recipe, from StarChefs:
Carrot and Cardamom-Infused Oysters with Lime Crème Fraiche
Chefs Dave Arnold and Nils Noren of The French Culinary Institute – New York, NY
Adapted by StarChefs.comYield: 8 Servings
Ingredients
Oysters:
• 5 liters freshly squeezed carrot juice, skimmed and strained
• 130 grams aquarium salt*
• 3 grams finely ground cardamom
• 24 Long Island or North oystersLime Crème Fraiche:
• 250 grams crème fraiche
• ½ gram xantham gum
• 20 grams strained lime juice
• Zest of 1 lime
• Salt and pepperTo Assemble and Serve:
• Chopped chives*preferably Instant Ocean brand
Method
For the Oysters:
Use a high shear blender to combine carrot juice, aquarium salt, and cardamom to a particle size of less than 10 microns. Wash oysters (but do not shuck!) and lay them right-side up in a container big enough to hold all oysters and liquid. Pour carrot-cardamom mixture over oysters and let sit at a temperature between 50 deg. F and 70 deg. F, out of light, for 2 hours. Do not move or disturb oysters during this time or they will not eat the surrounding liquid.For Lime Crème Fraîche:
Whisk together crème fraîche, xantham, gum, lime juice, and zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste.To Assemble and Serve:
Remove oysters from carrot bath and rinse. Shuck oysters and use only those that have ingested carrot liquid for service. Top with mini-quenelle of lime crème fraîche and garnish with chopped chives.