The Bombay Sapphire media event gave us the occasion to learn new cocktail recipes. They collaborated with a local chef to pair each cocktail with an appetizer. This year, Eric Gonzales of Auberge Saint-Gabriel was the invited chef in Montreal. I learned several cooking tips from Eric. His food was delicious. I shared his recipes so you can try it at home while sipping your drink.
Merlin Griffiths showed us how to make his modern take on the classic French 75 cocktail. The addition of pear nectar adds a rich, fresh flavor that helps to combat the acidity of the lemon and champagne. I helped Merlin prepared the Sapphire French Highball at the Bombay Sapphire media event. We put it on tape. The images aren’t great due to the lights from the windows but Merlin gives good insights.
Sapphire French Highball Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Bombay Sapphire
- 0.5 oz Lemon juice
- 0.5 oz Simple syrup – 2 parts sugar & 1 part boiling water; stir until dissolved and chill
- 1 oz Pear nectar/juice
- Top with Champagne or Sparkling Wine
- Garnish: lemon twist and edible gold flakes
Add the gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and pear nectar to a highball glass. Stir. Fill the glass with cracked ice (lightly smash some ice cubes). Top slowly with champagne and stir once more. Garnish with a long “shoestring” lemon twist and edible gold flakes for pizzazz.
If you do not find it at your local grocery store, know that edible gold flakes are available at Indian food stores.
Cooking with Gin
If you wish to cook with the Bombay Sapphire gin, Chef Eric Gonzales thinks that it seafood and gin are a perfect combination. You can go with scallops, urchin or mussels. For the event, Eric cooked us a tasty clam recipe.
Speakeasy Clam Recipe
Serves 1 dozen clams
Canned clams were a favorite during the prohibition era. You have to remember that there were no fridge at the time; so canned food was more popular. This recipe is a spin on “Classic Clams Casino”, a dish that was served in the popular restaurants and supper clubs in the 1920’s. The use of toasted crushed almonds in this recipe highlights the almond botanicals featured in Bombay Sapphire gin.
Ingredients:
- 50 cl Olive oil
- 60 g Shallots, finely chopped
- 1 Clove garlic
- 10 cl Bombay Sapphire gin
- 2 small sticks of Liquorice (or fennel) – Liquorice sticks can be bought at the drugstore.
- 2 springs of Fresh thyme
- Zest of one lemon
- Sea salt, freshly ground pepper
Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add pepper (to taste), clams and deglaze with a drizzle of gin. Add lemon zest, thyme, liquorice, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Uncover, remove the clams and leave to cool. Remove clams from their shells. Reduce the juices by half.
Clam and crab topping
Ingredients:
- 125 g Snow crab meat
- 35 g chopped Italian parsley
- 20 g finely chopped fresh basil
- 35 g melted Butter
- 50 g shredded Parmesan
- 60 g Breadcrumbs
- 40 g crushed, roasted almonds
- Zest and juice of one lemon to taste
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Sauté the shallots until soft, deglaze with the gin, reduce by half. Add the clams after cutting them in half, the crab meat, herbs, parmesan and season with lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
Mix the almonds, breadcrumbs and melted butter together. Preheat the oven to 375º F, place the clam shelves on a cookie sheet, garnish with the clam and crab mixture, top with breadcrumbs and bake for 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and enjoy.
I shared more photos on my Facebook page. Come to see our Bombay Sapphire Media Event 2011 album.
