Bottega - Michael Chiarello [95]
CHEF’S NOTE: You bet you can reuse those pepper-corns. Spread them on a few layers of paper towels to dry. When completely dry you can crush them and press them into steaks or venison.
Lavender Limoncello
MAKES ABOUT 9 CUPS
Once you blend it, this liqueur has to sit for 4 weeks, but it’s worth the wait.
1 dozen Meyer lemons, or a mix of lemons and limes
3 fresh lavender sprigs
2 liters vodka or white rum
6 cups sugar
1 cup water
Using a bar zester or a vegetable peeler, cut the zest from the lemons, making sure you don’t get any of the white pith. In a large, clean glass container with a tight-fitting lid, combine the citrus zest, lavender sprigs, and vodka. Let stand undisturbed in a cool, dark place for 4 weeks, then strain.
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Stir the sugar mixture into the lemon mixture.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 months or in the freezer for up to 1 year. (Although Iglesias says this keeps “forever,” make a new batch every year when your lemons are fantastic.)
Serve in small aperitif glasses or make a spritzer (recipe follows).
Spritzer Variation
MAKES 8 DRINKS
Make a pitcher’s worth of spritzers for a light, summery way to enjoy your limoncello.
30 ice cubes
6 cups seltzer water
6 cups limoncello
1 sliced lemon, preferably Meyer
Add the ice to a large pitcher or drink dispenser. Pour in the seltzer and limoncello and stir. Pour into chilled tall glasses and float a lemon slice in each glass.
Simple Syrup
MAKES 11/3 CUPS
This is a bar basic that you can keep at the ready in your refrigerator for up to 6 months.
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium heat. Simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. For bartending purposes, we store this in squeeze bottles kept in the bar fridge. Or, refrigerate in a covered container.
Resources
A.G. Ferrari Foods
www.agferrari.com
Amarena cherries, pasta flour.
Anson Mills
www.ansonmills.com
Fine-ground polenta.
Bruno’s Marketplace
www.brunosmarketplace.com
Wax peppers.
Catalina Offshore Products
www.catalinaop.com
Live sea urchins.
Chef Rubber
www.shopchefrubber.com
Gelatin sheets (gelatin leaves), caviar-making trays.
Chefs’ Warehouse
www.chefswarehouse.com
Spices.
Chiarello Family Vineyards
www.chiarellovineyards.com
707-256-0750
The 95-year-old vines around my home are sustainably farmed; making these wines has been the most satisfying of all my personal endeavors. Cabernet, Old Vine Zinfandel, Old Vine Petite Syrah.
D’Artagnan
www.dartagnan.com
800-327-8246
Duck, rabbit, foie gras.
Giusto’s Vita-Grain
www.giustos.com
650-873-6566, or 866-972-6879
Organic flour and fine-ground polenta.
Heritage Foods
www.heritagefoodsusa.com
718-389-0985
Heritage Foods was started in 2001 to save a turkey. The Bourbon Red was listed as “rare” until Heritage helped connect home cooks with the farmers trying to keep this breed in existence. These days, Heritage offers you links to small-scale farmers and ranchers with every kind of livestock, from Duroc pork to young chickens and Dark Cornish chicken. Heritage offers a way to support farmers outside of the mega-industrial meat complex, but it’s not just about conservation; anything you order from Heritage will have flavors that you won’t find in your local supermarket’s meat and poultry. Chicken, lamb, pork, tuna, turkey.
Katz & Company
www.katzandco.com
Artisan oils, vinegars, and honey.
Krieger Limited
Florence, Italy
fax: 390550935520
Pink chickpeas.
La Caja China
www.lacajachina.com
Oversized outdoor roasting box.
La Tourangelle